PESHAWAR: The sub-national governance program team has emphasized on taking seriously the consultation and suggestions of other relevant stakeholders including the business community in the preparation of the budget.
It also demanded that before preparing the budget, the problems of everyone, including the people, should be heard so that a workable budget can be made.
These views were expressed in a meeting with the team of SNG (Sub-National Governance Program) at FPCCI Regional Office Peshawar, says a press release issued here on Friday.
Coordinator of FPCCI Sartaj Ahmad Khan, Vice President of SAARC Chamber Haji Ghulam Ali, Minhaj Bacha of Gems and Jewellery, senior leader of business community Adnan Jalil, officials of Chitral, Charsadda and Mohmand Chamber and others participate in the meeting.
Officials of the SNG team, which surveys the entire country and prepares a detailed report on the ground facts regarding the budget, inquired from the business community of KP about the recently presented budget of the province and the suggestions and advice given in it.
Speaking on this occasion, speakers Haji Ghulam Ali, Sartaj Ahmad Khan and Adnan Jalil described the traditional copy-paste method of budget preparation as very frivolous and said that the economically developed countries in the world have .
They said If we look at the procedure, only consult with all the relevant stakeholders before making the budget, but also make the suggestions received from them a part of the budget, unfortunately this is not done in our country.
The participants said that suggestions were also given in the recent budget, but for the first time, a booklet based on practical suggestions were also delivered to every government and bureaucracy responsible by FPCCI, on which the government promised to form an advisory committee.
FPCCI coordinator Sartaj Ahmad Khan said that the government has not made any serious progress on the issue of mines and minerals blocks in Chitral.
Minhaj Bacha said that there is a demand for precious stones in the world and we have the largest market in Asia, which if given attention, half of the country’s debt can be written off.
At the end of the meeting, the SNG team assured that they will make both the complaints and concerns of the business community a clear part of their survey report in order to reach the people responsible.