Senate unanimously approves 156 recommendations on financial bill 2018-19
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ISLAMABAD: The Senate has unanimously approved 156 recommendations on the Finance Bill 2018-19 and have been sent to the National Assembly.
The recommendations were moved by Senator Farooq H. Naek.
The House recommended for the tax rate of individuals the slab of rupees of 12,00,000 to 24,00,000 the tax rate be increase to ten percent slab for 24,00,000 rupees to 48,00,000 the tax rate be increase to 15percent and the slab for 48,00,000 and above be increased by 25 percent.
The House recommends to the National Assembly that in order to protect the dairy sector tariff on import of Skimmed Milk Power should be increased from 45% to 50%.
To encourage the use of solar energy, interest free loans should be introduced for the installation of Solar Tube Wells for farmers owning up to 12 acres of land.
The senate recommended that minimum stipends for all interns should be fixed at twenty thousand rupees. Sufficient allocation of funds should be made to waive off agricultural loans of 2.75 billion rupees was also recommended.
The House proposed that forty billion rupees should be allocated for FATA instead of twenty-four point five billion rupees.
It recommended that at least twenty billion rupees should be allocated for converting agriculture tube wells of Balochistan to solar energy.
The House suggested construction of more dams in Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
The Upper House recommended allocation of funds for various projects including infrastructure, education, health sectors and provision of clean drinking water across the country.
The House also recommended that senior post allowance should be extended from BPS 19 to BPS 22.
The Senate resumed discussion on the budgetary proposals for the next fiscal year.
Participating in the debate, Talha Mehmood said industrial sector should be revamped to strengthen economy of the country.
Sirajul Haq said the government should have discussed the budget in both houses of the parliament before announcing it formally.
He also called for abolishing the interest system in Pakistan.
Mirza Khan Afridi said more funding should be given to FATA to bring the area at par with other developed areas of the country. Those who also spoke on the occasion, included Gianchand, Shaheen Khalid Butt, Kesho Bai, Mian Ateeq Shaikh and Gul Bashra.
The House will now meet tomorrow at 3 p.m.
Minister of State for Power Abid Sher Ali has assured the House that no load shedding will be observed during Sehar and Iftar in the holy month of Ramzan. He was responding to a calling attention moved by Sherry Rehman and others regarding load shedding of electricity.
Abid Sher Ali said the PML-N government has added 13,000 megawatts of electricity to the national grid.
He said today electricity generation stands at 19,300 megawatts, which is equal to the demand.
He said 3500 megawatts electricity will be added to the system as a result of power projects being established by the government.
He sought provincial governments’ cooperation against electricity theft.
Responding to another calling attention notice, Minister for State for Finance Rana Muhammad Afzal said that remaining amount of 21.9 million rupees of Employees’ Old-Age Benefits Institution will be paid soon.
The Senate unanimously adopted recommendations on the Finance Bill, 2018 containing the Annual Budget Statement.
The motion to this effect was moved by Farooq H.Naek. AP
