PESHAWAR
The business community and opposition parties of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) on Friday jointly opposed the federal government proposed mini-budget as they believe the move would bring a new wave of inflation and unemployment in the country.
Ameer Jamat-e-Islami (JI) Peshawar Atiq-ur-Rehman in a statement has said that the federal government mini-budget would increase the prices of essential commodities.
Addressing a protest rally against the mini-budget, Atiq-ur-Rehman said people in the country are experiencing an unprecedented wave of high inflation, adding the proposed budget eliminates opportunities of employment among the youth. The unemployment rate among the youth has exceeded 8 percent, he added, and that the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government had completely failed to address the issues of the masses.
Moreover, The Sarhad Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCI) president Hasnain Khurshid Ahmad said that the taxation measures worth Rs343billion through Finance (Supplementary) Bill 2021 are a reflection of the incumbent government’s “inconsistent” and “flawed” economic policies.
The mini-budget will directly affect unprivileged and poor segments of the society. He stressed that attention should be paid to enhance exports and overcome the widening trade deficit instead of generating revenue through taxation.
Hasnain Khurshid said the government’s stance over withdrawing of tax exemptions worth Rs343billion would not affect common man, in complete “ridiculous” and “incomprehensible”.
He asked the government to review imposition of taxes on food items and prevent poor masses from a ‘tsunami’ of price-hike.
Similarly, Awami National
Party (ANP) also criticized the federal government for a mini-budget and demanded instant relief for the poor segment of the society.
The central senior vice president Amir Haider Khan Hoti said that the government has failed to sustain a relief given to people, adding tax exemption on different items would make lives of people more miserable.
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 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.
