PESHAWAR
Awami National Party (ANP) central senior vice president Amir Haider Khan Hoti on Thursday rejected the federal government mini-budget and demanded return of tax exemption given to people on different items.
Reacting to the presentation of the money budget in the National Assembly, Amir Haider Khan Hoti said that the mini budget was brought by the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) to appease the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
Aimer Haider Khan Hoti in a statement accused the incumbent government for taking a dangerous step, adding the control of the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) has been handed over to IMF.
He questioned whether the country would be run for the betterment of public interest or international monetary organization.
He said that the central government’s mini budget would increase Inflation in the country and prices of essential commodities will increase as the budget has put more pressure on the public in the shape of new taxes and tax exemptions.
Additionally, he said that concessions had been granted to multinationals in what he called the ‘anti-people’ mini-budget, while criticizing the government for the devaluation of the rupee against the dollar and rejecting the claim that this would serve to boost exports.
He said that according to government statistics, the PTI government in its three years took foreign loans of Rs37.85 billion, adding that the party leader had promised that he would not take any loan from the IMF but failed to honor his words.
Mr Hoti lambasted the government and said that once again, Parliament was disrespected, parliamentary traditions were trampled underfoot.
The PTI government has not provided a single penny of relief to the people in the last three and a half years.
It is pertinent to mention here that the Federal Cabinet on Thursday, chaired by Prime Minister Imran Khan, approved a mini-budget to secure a $1 billion loan.
Under the mini-budget, the government has planned to increase sales tax on about 150 items.
