Govt presented a record development budget of Rs 750bn, whereas PML-N’s budget revolved around Rs 488bn, says Habib
State minister for information Farrukh Habib has said the record tax recoveries of Rs 2920 billion made by FBR with a 32 percent increase in the second quarter of the current fiscal year reflect excellent economic activities. He tweeted these tax recoveries by FBR are more by Rs 287 billion than the set target of Rs 2633 billion. During the previous year, the tax was collected Rs 2204 billion. Tax amounting to Rs 600 billion was collected during December. Pakistan to make progress due to PM’s policies: Farrukh Habib
State Minister for Information & Broadcasting Farrukh Habib has said that Pakistan would continue to tread the road to progress and prosperity due to the prudent policies of Prime Minister Imran Khan.
He talked to the media at Sammundri Road after visiting various development projects in his constituency NA-108 on Saturday. He recounted the successes of the previous year. He said that United Nations and other international organisations had openly acknowledged the wise lockdown policy of Pakistan, which helped it win top position in returning to normality despite the Covid-19 pandemic.
He said that the new year would bring more good news for Pakistanis as the country had achieved the ambitious target of vaccinating more than 70 million people till Dec 31, 2021. He dispelled the impression that an international organisation donated all vaccines. He said the government spent $2 billion on the purchase of vaccines. In this connection, he especially lauded the services of Federal Minister Asad Umar, Dr Faisal and NCOC, who worked day and night to save people from the pandemic.
He termed the Punjab health card a gift of the present government for the new year and said that the previous governments neglected the health sector. Still, this government had given top priority, and every family in Punjab will get free treatment up to Rs 1 million.
He rejected the criticism of Chief Minister Punjab Sardar Usman Buzdar. He said that he had the privilege to present a record development budget of Rs 750 billion, whereas the PML-N had presented a much-trumpeted budget of Rs 488 billion.
He said that Punjab utilised 98 percent of the allocated funds the previous year, which reflected that the government was allocating funds and making efforts to use them for the welfare of the masses. About Faisalabad, he said that it got a package of Rs 13 billion for roads and infrastructure projects, and the amount had already been released.
He said that work on Sammundri Road, Jhang Road and Jaranwala Road had been started. In contrast, the construction of Faisalabad-Chiniot Road would be started very soon under public, private partnership mode. He said that Punjab had allocated Rs 360 billion for the district development package to ensure equal distribution of funds among all districts of the province.
He said that it would redress the complaints of backward districts of the province. He said that the package would be utilised to construct roads and other infrastructure projects. He said that 35 per cent of the annual development fund had been allocated for south Punjab, which would bring the backward area at par with the developed districts of the province.
He said that 20 new universities, eight new hospitals, several industrial estates, and special economic zones were being developed to spur economic growth. Similarly, 7,000 primary schools had been upgraded to middle level while a mega irrigation project had been launched to upgrade the existing canal system.
He said that the water supply and sewerage system was being upgraded in the province, which would bring a qualitative improvement in the commoner’s life. He termed Shehbaz Sharif a photo-shoot personality while Usman Buzdar was working in a true sense.
He said the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) had collected Rs 2,900 billion, which is 32 per cent higher than the amount collected last year. He added that the target was Rs 2,600 billion, and the collected amount was more than it. He rejected the allegations that the increase is due to the rise in sales tax and said that additional Rs 300 billion had been collected under the income tax head.
Seventy thousand corporate entities were registered during the PTI government, which earned a massive profit of Rs 1,000 billion. During the PML-N tenure, only 20,000 companies were registered that earned Rs 500 billion profit.
He said that a 68 per cent increase was recorded in car production, 15 per cent in tractors and 64 per cent in trucks/ buses, while cement production was also increased by 6.9 per cent.
He said that the government took fundamental and radical measures to streamline the business. In this connection, the first-ever auto and SME policies were also introduced, and now young startups could get loans up to Rs 10 million without any guarantee. He said that the prime minister had taken yet another unique initiative and public friendly step to provide shelter to homeless individuals. For this purpose, Rs 100 billion had been approved while Rs 34 billion had so far been disbursed.
He said that ten new dams were under construction, which would overcome the water shortage and produce cheap electricity.
He said that food inflation had been reduced, and it recorded a 10 to 20 per cent decrease compared to last year. He said the government was serious in nailing down inflation as it had taken strict measures to control it, but the impact of global inflation was out of control. He said that Nawaz Sharif would go direct to Adiala Jail on his return to Pakistan.
