Summary Ishaq Dar said no institution will be provided with the secret funds except secret agencies.
ISLAMABAD (Web Desk) - The Senate today unanimously approved the budgetary recommendations on the Finance Bill 2013 containing the Annual Budget Statement.
Chairperson Standing Committee on Finance Nasreen Jalil laid before the House the report of the committee on the proposals for making recommendations on the finance bill.
Winding up the debate on the budget in the Senate‚ Finance Minister Ishaq Dar announced to raise minimum wage of workers up to 10 thousand rupees a month. He said reducing fiscal deficit is a big challenge but hoped that the government would succeed in achieving the goal. He said there will be no additional tax on salaried persons drawing 2.5 million rupees annually.
He clarified that no tax has been imposed on Hajjis‚ rather tax has been imposed on the income of tour operators.
Earlier‚ taking part in the debate‚ Kamil Ali Agha urged the government to broaden the tax base. Nuzhat Sadiq welcomed the budgetary proposals regarding abolishing the discretionary and secret funds and schemes for the youth.
Sardar Ali said that there should be no cut in the defence budget as the country is in the state of war.
Rubina Irfan described the budget as anti-poor and investor-friendly in which no relief has been provided to the common man.
Saifullah Magsi said that no measure have been taken for food and agriculture security. Farhat Abbas said that no incentives have been given to women folk in the budget. Hari Ram said that subsidy must be given to the farmers to increase the agriculture production.
On a point of order‚ Nasreen Jalil expressed her reservations over deteriorating law and order situation in Karachi particularly the targeting of MQM workers.
Raza Rabbani referring to news conference of Interior Minister Chaudhary Nisar Ali Khan said the Federal Government does not have right to give ultimatum to Sindh Government to improve law and order situation in one month.
Leader of the House Raja Zafarul Haq said Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan s statement must not be taken wrongly. He said the Interior Minister wants to improve coordination between Federal and Provincial governments to resolve the issue of law and order.
