FinMin 'assures' to address Senate grievances on budget

ISLAMABAD: The Finance Ministry hinted at accepting most of the budget recommendations put forward by the Senate, ARY News reported.

Sources privy to the development said that a significant progress was made regarding passage of the Finance Bill from the Senate of Pakistan.

The decision was taken in a meeting between Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb and the Senate Standing Committee on Finance Chairman Saleem Mandviwalla.

The sources said that during the meeting, Muhammad Aurangzeb and Saleem Mandviwalla discussed issues related to the budget passage.

Senator Saleem Mandviwala apprised the finance minister about the Senator’s grievances on the budget. The Senate Standing Committee on Finance chairman demanded some amendments to the Finance Bill.

Muhammad Aurangzeb assured Saleem Mandviwala that the Senate’s recommendations would be incorporated in the budget

It was decided that that the recommendations of the Senators will be given final shape

Earlier in the day, Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari on Friday decried the ‘lack of consultation’ with his party ahead of the federal budget 2024-25

Address an event in Karachi’s Lyari neighborhood to celebrate the birthday of former prime minister late Benazir Bhutto, Bilawal said that the Pakistan Muslim-League-Nawa (PML-N) led federal government should have consulted with all its allies, especially the PPP.

“We believe that all allies especially the PPP should have consulted by the federal government on the budget preparation. We would have proposed measures that help alleviate the problems of the people,” Bilawal added.

The PPP chairman said that Pakistan is going through a ‘difficult’ period and everybody needs to work together to save the country’s economy.

“Our representatives had a meeting with the government in Islamabad today (to deliberate on the budget)

Bilawal said that whatever can be done to address the PPP should be done by the government.