KARACHI, May 3: The Pakistan People’s Party Parliamentarians, Sindh chapter, has sent its recommendations to the provincial finance ministry demanding involvement of legislators at the formulation stage of the provincial budget.

These recommendations were given by the PPP spokespersons on Finance MPAs Shazia Marri and Ahmed Ali Jalbani in the light of suggestions made in the pre-budget public forum.

The PPP asked the government to set out budget policies and priorities at least two months in advance of the budget speech to allow full debate before the new fiscal year. It has also demanded strengthening of the finance/budget committee so that it could play a major role in the budget process.

The PPP has also proposed that opposition leader should be encouraged to formulate proposals for amendment to the budget in cooperation with smaller opposition parties, demystify the budget by gradually reducing secrecy and increasing transparency.

It has also sought abolishment of unnecessary provisions and provide more access to information (e.g. defence), ensure parliamentary accountability in defence budgets, reduce the number and scale of ‘miscellaneous’ items in the budget.

The PPP has also stressed the need for simplifying budget documents in language and form for greater access and understanding, provide the public and media with more access to information, including briefings on the budget, build links with civil society organizations in the budget formulation process, allowing them to give analysis on issues under consideration and what they believe ought to be the priorities.

It further recommended holding public hearings of the finance/budget committee to receive evidence from the chambers of commerce and other groups affected by the budget and stressed the need for its proper utilization.

Different political parties, consumers, citizen and economic groups should be brought together in the budget making process and link expenditure discussions with policies in every particular sector. Identify and dismantle all parallel processes in government expenditures and revenue generation and money must be allocated to address environmental concerns.

It has also proposed that budget must be gender sensitized. This can be achieved by immediate establishment of a Gender Sensitization Department to oversee gender policies of all departments.

The PPP has also suggested increase in funding for education particularly technical education as well as target combination of skills required by prominent industries in the province and other generic skills like gardening. It has also proposed to significantly enhance private sector participation in the technical education system on the Punjab TEVTA mode.

Investment plan for higher education for the youth of rural and urban on equal basis, establishment of information technology centres in the low profile urban and remote rural areas and allocation of funds for students encouraging them to attend school are some of the other proposals.

Besides, the party also proposed more allocation of funds for health department, keeping the factual cost of the management of the patient, as was done in the corporate sector. Cut back on the number of posts, and instead allocate salaries for a smaller but effective staff for the hospital administration and the department.

At the same time, it has proposed allocations for the postgraduates from all over the province as per requirements. It has also proposed introduction of health insurance scheme.

The PPP spokesperson on finance, MPA Shazia Marri, said that the party had also stressed the need for establishing education and training facilities for disabled/special children all over Sindh. Availability of the infrastructure supply of Water and Power to all industries must be ensured and new industrial zones should be established, offering land to SMEs on low cost, she added.

According to her, the PPP has supported increase in minimum wages and has demanded that tax on dividends on listed companies be exempted as dividend was distributed out of the profits earned after payment of corporate tax.

The PPP also wanted modernization of agriculture extension, subsidy on tubewells to be reinstated, compensation to the growers who were suffering loss from sea erosion/ intrusion and waterlogged.

The recommendations also included village registration and ownership entitlement to settled community and matters pertaining to physical infrastructure, including construction of bridges on the Indus at every 50km.