Govt, PPP hold delegation level talks on federal budget

ISLAMABAD: A session of delegation level talks on the upcoming federal budget, has been underway between the People’s Party and the government, sources said on Sunday.

The PPP delegation comprises of Naveed Qamar and Sherry Rehman, while the government’s team has been headed by Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar, PPP sources said.

The meeting considering over the reservations of the People’s Party.

The leadership level talks between the government and the PPP on budget, will be held this evening in the Presidency, which will also be attended by President Asif Ali Zardari and PPP chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, according to sources.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif is likely to attend the meeting. Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar, Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb and Ahsan Iqbal will also attend the session.

The PPP delegation will present their reservations with regard to the budget and will demand the government to implement the agreement over budget.

The PPP sources earlier said that “The government has been bound under the agreement to provide details of budget to the PPP, the party has repeatedly demanded a detailed draft of the budget, but the government not wants to unveil the details of the taxes and the PSDP.”

“The government didn’t provide the details of the proposed old and new taxes till now,” People’s Party sources said.

Party sources said that the government did not unveil the facts about the taxes and levies. “The government intends to impose new taxes and hike the rate of old taxes”.

The PPP have reservations over the development schemes included in the proposed budget. The projects proposed by the PPP for all four provinces would have to be included in the PSDP, but the party’s development projects not added in the PSDP, sources said.

The People’s Party wants complete enforcement of the budget agreement with the government. “The party will devise its next line of action if the budget agreement with the PPP not implemented,” party sources said.