Punjab govt unveils austerity policy for FY2020-21

LAHORE: Punjab government on Thursday unveiled its austerity policy for the new fiscal year 2020-21.

According to the policy, unnecessary expenses will be avoided while purchase of new vehicles and foreign trips of ministers and officials will be banned.

The ministers and the officials can only go on foreign tours after prior permission from CM Punjab Usman Buzdar.

Expenditure on decoration of houses of provincial ministers will not be allowed.

During his visit to US, last year, PM Imran Khan had set an example of austerity and simplicity which visibly cost lesser as a visit of a head of the state over expenditures of national exchequer.

ARY News had obtained details of expenditures made during the visit of PM Khan to the US, which was compared with the visits of previous rulers including former president Asif Ali Zardari and former prime minister Mian Muhammad Nawaz Sharif.

The details become an eye-opener for all as the previous visits by the then heads of the state had put a heavy financial burden on the national exchequer.

According to the details, the former president and Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) co-chairman, Asif Ali Zardari, had paid a six-day official visit to the US in 2009. Approximately $752,688 spent on his visit to the US.