By Asim Hussain
ISLAMABAD: Finance Minister Miftah Ismael on Friday said austerity was the foremost priority of the government and concrete measures were being taken in this regard.
Presenting the Federal Budget for Fiscal Year 2022-23 in the National Assembly, he said steps were being taken to reduce the government’s expenditures.
He said the government was not doing lip-service on the austerity as the petrol quota of government officials and cabinet members had been reduced by 40 percent, while official foreign trips, procurement of luxury items and vehicles for the government department were banned.
Naz Baloch terms Budget as pro farmers
ISLAMABAD: Member National Assembly (MNA) Naz Baloch on Friday said the incumbent government had provided maximum relief to the agriculture sector in the budget because Pakistan is an agro-based country.
Talking to media, she said despite financial constraints, the government had given subsidy on fertilizer plant and urea besides a big relief in the wake of taxation being paid by the farmers.
Naz Baloch was of the view that Pakistan’s prosperity was interlinked with the well-being of the farmers that was why; the coalition government had tried its best to facilitate them from all aspects.
To a query regarding the water scarcity, she said no doubt, the country was suffering from an acute shortage of water these days but the government was making comprehensive plans on short and long terms basis to meet this national challenge. She expressed the hope that the government would come up with a feasible strategy to cope with water crisis once for all.
She said although it was not an ideal situation but the government was taking all possible initiatives in a bid to bring the country’s economy on the road to progress.–Agencies
