ISLAMABAD: In a session of National Assembly’s Standing Committee on Finance and Revenue, Naveed Kamran Baloch, the finance secretary, while responding to a question by Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz’s (PML-N) Dr Ayesha Pasha, said “It will depend whether we renegotiate the programme or not.”
Asad Umar, who chaired the meeting, said what the finance secretary meant to say was that he was not sure whether the deal would be renegotiated or not.
In further discussion, Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) member Inland Revenue Policy, Dr. Hamid Ateeq put aside any possibility of a “mini-budget” to be presented in order to make up for the revenue shortfall.
Dr. Ateeq said improvements in revenue collection will be made through technological and administrative measures and that all tax policy and administrative measures are being implemented.
Asad Umar said the economic team should be ready to explain macro policy steps through fiscal and monetary policy on inflation and agreed with the members that no issue was bigger than inflation at present. He also said that the PM’s adviser on finance and Governor State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) should attend such meetings as it would be in the government’s best interests.
