Senate panel recommends 20% increase in salaries, pensions

ISLAMABAD, June 3 (APP): The Senate’s Standing Committee on Finance
and Revenue on Saturday recommended 20 per cent increase in government employees’ salaries and pensions.
The meeting of the committee was presided over by Senator Saleem H. Mandviwala and was attended by Senators Mohsin Khan Leghari, Osman
Saifullah Khan and Usman Khan Kakar, Secretary Finance Tariq Bajwa and high officials of FBR and finance ministry.
During the meeting, the committee reviewed proposals of Federal Board
of Revenue (FBR) in Finance Bill 2017-18, besides reviewing recommendations presented by Senators Syed Muzaffar Hussain Shah, Farhatullah Babar, Chauhdry Tanvir Khan, Azam Khan Swati, Muhammad Usman Khan Kakar, Sardar Muhammad Azam Musa Khel, Sirajul Haq and Nawabzada Saifullah Magsi in connection with the Budget 2017-18.
Senator Farhatullah Babar proposed that a minimum amount of Rs 10 billion should be allocated to ensure implementation on Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA). The committee approved this recommendation.
The committee also approved a proposal by Farhatullah Babar for establishment of support fund with initial allocation of Rs 20 billion
for the families of those who were martyred in war against terrorism.
The committee approved the recommendation by Syed Muzaffar Hussain
Shah for abolishing sales tax on import of Sun Flower and Canola hybrid seed. His proposal for fixing unified price for all tub-wells used for agricultural purposes was also approved by the committee. Additionally,
his proposal for zero rating the import of food storage and chilling machinery was also forwarded to the National Assembly for approval.
The committee, however, recommended to review the proposal of Syed Muzaffar to make the import of tractors from Belarus duty free in order to protect the local industry.
While reviewing the recommendation given by Senator Chaudhry
Tanvir, the committee approved the proposal of interest free loan
scheme for small farmers to install solar tube-wells.Â
The committee also recommended to cut in allocated budget for the president and prime minister houses.