Tuesday, 21 June, 2022 | LAHORe
COrruPTiON dOeS NOT AFFeCT PAkiSTAN’S eCONOMiC deveLOPMeNT: AhSAN iQBAL
P
News Desk
LANNING Minister Ahsan Iqbal on Monday said corruption was not the primary reason holding back Pakistan’s economic development, claiming that there were examples of countries that managed to progress despite similar levels of corruption. The PML-N leader indicated that the far bigger impediments to Pakistan’s growth were “political instability and policy reversals” as opposed to corruption. Addressing a seminar in Islamabad, he said: “The biggest lesson today is that I can count many countries in the world
that have developed despite having similar corruption as ours but you can’t point out a single country that has progressed despite political instability and discontinuity of policy.” Iqbal quoted the examples of Bangladesh and India, which he said have managed to grow even though their corruption problem was just as severe as Pakistan’s. He said there was a “structural problem” that wasn’t allowing Pakistan to take off, as he stressed that reforms would require “at least a decade” to truly work. If there was not a continuation in direction for 10 years then no good measure would yield results, he added. “We have failed to give continuation
to policies in this country and a big reason for that is our internal political situation.” Iqbal said that economic growth in Pakistan required strong fiscal discipline and economic management. “We have to move towards exportled growth,” he said, adding that Pakistan was lagging behind others in the region as its tax-to-GDP ratio had never been above 12 per cent. He lamented that Pakistan was also lagging behind in exports compared to others in its region. The planning minister said that present foreign direct investment stood at a mere $1.5 billion while in Vietnam it was $30bn. Furthermore, he pointed out that
Pakistan’s savings to investment ratio was very low. Iqbal said that Pakistan had not paid attention to its human resource development, and the dream of economic development could not be fulfilled with inadequate education levels. “We have to make our youth skilled and educated. Because of the CPEC (China Pakistan Economic Corridor) project, we got the attention of the world. The world wanted to invest here,” he said. The planning minister said that in order to balance its annual budget, Pakistan would have to move towards export-led growth so that the economy could become sustainable and inclusive.
HBL becomes the first Pakistani bank to provide payment services on whatsApp PRess ReLeAse HBL becomes the first Bank in Pakistan to launch “full feature” banking services on WhatsApp. The facility has been developed in partnership with leading cloud communication service provider E.Ocean. HBL’s Conversational Banking was made available to its clients through E.Ocean’s WhatsApp Business Platform in 2021. To use the service, HBL clients need to initiate a conversation on HBL’s WhatsApp number (021-111-111-425) from the mobile number registered with the Bank. Now, in addition to the information services already being offered, the “full feature” set of services will enable HBL’s customers to conduct payments / financial transactions as well. These transactions / services include: Inter-bank Funds Transfer Intra-bank Funds Transfer
FTO directs FBr for quick disposal of long pending cases While disposing of a complaint relating to customs Intelligence, Quetta, tax ombudsman has directed FBR to conduct a detailed analysis of all those cases which are pending at the Appellate Tribunal level for more than five (05) years and frame an effective policy and issue necessary guidelines to all field formations for quick disposal of all such cases. As per details, Directorate of Intelligence and Investigation Quetta intercepted one Toyota Master Ace Surf van. It was alleged that in the registration documents the vehicle was mentioned as “Toyota Lite ace Van” whereas physically the same was found as “Toyota Master Ace Surf Van: and the chassis number of the vehicle was also tampered. During the proceedings of the case the vehicle being tampered was confiscated and subsequently sold to the office of Accountant General of Balochistan Quetta (A.G) against token money of Rs188,701. The Complainant approached the High Court of Balochistan by filing of Constitution Petition No.1233/2020 praying that in view of the factual and legal position, the Directorate may be directed to immediately restore the vehicle to the Complainant without further delay in condition in which it was seized on 03.02.2003 the petition was withdrawn, where after the complaint has been filed in terms of Section 10(1) of the Federal Tax Ombudsman Ordinance, 2000 (FTO Ordinance). Staff RepoRt
WhatsApp Platform to unlock value for our clients. With over 2 billion users, WhatsApp offers an unparalleled opportunity to address immediate basic banking needs. This is why we integrated a host of banking services into a platform which is already embedded in our clients’ everyday lives. Client centricity is fundamental to how HBL does business, and we believe this partnership, and its results reflect our commitment to the same.” Speaking on the occasion, Altaf Siddiqui, Director of Products, E.Ocean, said “It is a moment of great pride for E.Ocean to facilitate HBL in launching first of its kind full feature banking service for its retail customers over WhatsApp. HBL has become a trend setter by going agile and incorporating financial services into a channel that millions of its customers already use, to deliver truly on the go banking with a focus on convenience, accessibility and security”
Mobile recharge (Prepaid & Postpaid) Utility Bill Payments Temporarily block/ unblock Debit or Credit Card Speaking on the occasion, Abrar Ahmed Mir, Chief Innovation and Financial Inclusion Officer – HBL, said, “We are excited to leverage the potential of the
Governor Punjab assures to raise CNG industry issues before govt AHMAD AHMADANI The Governor Punjab Muhammad Baligh-ur-Rehman has assured All Pakistan CNG Association (APCNGA) that he will soon raise the issues of Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) industry before the federal government and will try his level best to get them resolved. A delegation of APCNGA comprising representation from all districts of Punjab province led by Ghiyas Abdullah Paarcha has met with the Governor Punjab on Monday and briefed the Governor about the problems currently being faced by the CNG industry. The delegation also presented their recommendations to solve the problems of the CNG industry. And, the Governor has assured the delegation about his full cooperation and support and promised to solve the serious problems of the CNG industry as soon as possible. The Governor Punjab, during the course of meeting, informed the APCNGA delegation that he will present the case before the federal government and he will leave no stone unturned to get all the problems resolved as early as possible. While briefing the Governor Punjab about the issues being faced by the CNG sector, Ghiyas Abdullah Pacaha said that the incumbent government is seriously faced with balance of payment issues and this issue can be resolved with the promotion/use of CNG as an alternate fuel for the motor vehicles. Similarly, foreign remittance
can be saved by approximately $2.1 billion dollar per annum on account of fuel import bill while 50 percent cut in public transport fares is also possible and circular debt can be reduced by Rs1,500 billion besides minimizing the environment pollution by ensuring gigantic reduction in the carbon emissions with the use of eco-friendly CNG as a fuel for motor vehicles. Furthermore, revival/expansion of the CNG sector can generate thousands of new employment/job opportunities while the use of CNG as an alternative fuel for motor vehicles is equivalent to having an environmental benefit of 152.63 million trees per annum. According to Ghiyas Abdullah Paracha, he has also requested the Governor Punjab to immediately get restored the gas supply to CNG Stations of Punjab province which are facing closure from last seven months (7th December 20211till date) to save the public from the impact of rising oil prices in the international oil market. Paracha also told the Governor that the CNG is still cheaper than prevailing petrol price and the Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) industry can provide 43percent and 55pc cheaper eco-friendly fuel to the motor vehicles in comparison with the price of petrol and diesel respectively in order to provide immediate relief to the public only if the government facilitate CNG industry to purchase and bring gas to meet the needs of CNG industry.
Petrol prices and the Punjab budget City NoteS M a Niazi You know, if you really put your mind to it, you can stop the inevitable from happening. The English have a story about King Canute, back in the first half of the 11th century, being told incessantly by his courtiers about how powerful he was, had his throne taken to the beach, and ordered the waves to stop. They didn’t. Well, Punjab Speaker Ch Pervez Elahi might like to take heed, because he stopped the provincial government from presenting the budget twice, but he couldn’t stop it forever, and with the other side having both Chief
Minister and Governor, it was only a matter of time. The situation is complicated. Look, Ch Pervez is serving as the last picture card of the PTI in Punjab, and trying to show the powers of the Speaker. He and his staff have it easy, for even if the Budget is not passed, they keep getting the money allocated to them because it’s charged expenditure. That means that the expenses of the Assembly (and its staff), the High Court, debt servicing and other commitments made by the provincial government, are charged to the Provincial Consolidated Fund. The Assembly does not vote on charged expenditure, but merely gets the details laid on the table by the Finance Minister when he
presents the Budget. Then there is the voted expenditure, the money the governments needs to pay salaries, buy newspapers, fill fuel tanks of official vehicles. And such like. These are in the form of the demands for grants, which the Assembly votes on. The demand for grant is not really money, but a sort of upper limit. If a demand for grant is passed, it means that that much money from the Provincial Consolidated Fund can be spent, but not that it has to be. Nor is that money pressed into an official’s hot little hand, with a pat on the back and the disbursing officer saying “Jaa puttar, ayaashi kar.” It’s an upper limit, which indicates the maximum that must be
spent. If there is some other expenditure, the department must get a supplementary grant. Supplementary grants do not necessarily mean that more money is needed. Say a department needs new air conditioners. It had earlier had the money for a car approved, but hasn’t bought. So it would present a declaration that it wouldn’t buy a car, as well as a supplementary grant for the ACs. One of the documents presented by a Finance Minister, is the Supplementary Budget, which is a consolidation of all of these re-appropriations made during the year. The Assembly duly votes on these supplementary grants, but long after theory’ve been ‘provisionally’ approved, and the money spent. What would happen if a supplementary grant failed to pass? Well, for a start, the government of theory would fall, but I think there
news
03
PM stresses global support for refugees from Syria to Afghanistan News Desk Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Monday called for renewed policy focus and arrangement of resources to address the suffering of refugees across the world. “From Syria to Palestine to Afghanistan, their plight calls for renewed policy focus and resources,” he said in a tweet, on World Refugee Day. The prime minister termed refugees as “the worst victims of wars and conflicts” besides inflicted by poverty and economic inequality. He called for global efforts to the developing countries that were extending support to refugees. “The world should help developing countries who continue to host a large number of refugees,” he said. The Foreign Office in a statement issued on the World Refugee Day said Pakistan joined the international community in commemorating the day and expressed solidarity with refugees all around the world. “This Day behooves us to reflect on the drivers of forced displacements and to reaffirm our commitment towards finding sustainable solutions for refugee situations, including through conflict prevention and resolution,” it said. The FO said the day was also an occasion to reiterate collective resolve for refugee protection under the principle of international burden- and responsibility-sharing. “Pakistan has shouldered the responsibility of one of the largest and most protracted refugee situations in the world for over four decades. Pakistan continues to host more than three million Afghans,” it said. The FO said another 0.4 million Rohingyas had also found refuge in Pakistan and the people of Pakistan had demonstrated exemplary generosity, hospitality, and compassion towards the refugees in the country. It emphasized that as new situations emerged around the globe, the long-standing Afghan refugee situation must not be forgotten by the international community.
Balochistan budget deferred till Tuesday News Desk Due to personal engagement of Chief Minister Abdul Quddus Bizenjo, the presentation of Balochistan budget for the fiscal year 2022-23 which was due to be presented today (Monday) has been deferred till tomorrow (Tuesday). A notification regarding rescheduling of the budget session has been forwarded to the acting governor. The presentation of provincial budget has been deferred till June 21 due to Chief Minister Bizenjo’s engagement in the council session of Balochistan Awami Party (BAP). The BAP held its intra-party elections on Sunday and elected Bizenjo as its new president. But the fissures appear in the party as the exercise was rejected by former Balochistan chief minister Jam Kamal Khan Alyani, who termed the BAP general council meeting “illegal”, saying that the general council meeting could only be convened by the party president. “I am the president of the party and I was not consulted for convening the general council meeting,” Mr Alyani said, adding that BAP’s general council meeting will now be held on Aug 9 in Quetta. Balochistan will present its budget for the next fiscal with a total outlay of Rs580 billion.
MQM-P, PPP lock horns over LG law kARACHI Staff RepoRt
A deadlock has emerged between Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) and Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) over amendments in the Local Government (LG) Act despite promises being made to the latter from the former before joining the federal government. According to the details, the PPP has agreed to implement the agreement with the MQM-P in 30 days after asking the latter to quit the PTI-led federal government. The provincial assembly lawmakers of the MQM-P have expressed their discontent over a delay in the implementation of the agreement and said that they recently complained to Asif Zardari, which resulted in a meeting between the two parties.
will first be lightning bolt striking the offending official dead, with a ghostly voice above saying, “Bad boy!”” Anyhow, the Punjab Assembly does not have its Demand for Grant voted on. It’s a charged expenditure. I doubt if Ch Pervez Elahi is much interested in this right now, what with his son Moonis being summoned by the FIA in connection with money laundering. Of course, the FIA would hardly be impressed by his being a former federal minister, what with having a serving PM in its charge. Nor would Shehbaz have much sympathy for Ch Pervez, as his son Hamza faces an FIA investigation. However, Ch Moonis might find the charges more difficult to answer, for Shehbaz and Hamza had the case against them prepared by Shehzad Akbar. Its legal advisers like Shehzad
Akbar and Farogh Nasim who got him trouble, but bringing Hamid Khan on board will only help to get rid of Fawad Chaudhry. Will that be much of a loss? Not so long as the PTI has Shahbaz Gill on its side. Meanwhile, the regular weekly fuel price rise occurred. The government is torn between blaming the IMF and the previous government. Funny, it doesn’t apply that logic to getting off the FATF grey list. For that, it takes the full credit. Of course, if coming off the list has any problems that come up later, then the previous government will get the blame. It’s like kids. If they have any good quality, it’s because they inherited it from the side of the family the speaker belongs to. A father’s aunt always ascribes a child’s brightness to her brother, and a mother’s aunt to hers. So with governments.
