By our correspondent
ISLAMABAD: Federal Finance Minister Senator Muhammad Aurangzeb has said that many of the questions raised about the budget could have been answered if his budget speech had been listened to carefully.
Speaking in the National Assembly while winding up debate on cut motions, Aurangzeb urged opposition members, particularly from the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), to return to parliamentary committees, arguing that their participation would allow them to contribute more effectively to budget discussions.
He said much of the criticism surrounding the Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP) reflected a misunderstanding of the government’s fiscal position, adding that the economic situation inherited in 2022 had left little fiscal space for development spending.
Aurangzeb said economic indicators had improved since then and the government’s reform trajectory was continuing. He added that younger Pakistanis, if asked today, would acknowledge improvements in the economy compared with previous years.
Responding to concerns over the Federal Board of Revenue’s performance, the finance minister said tax revenue had nearly doubled over the past two years and expressed confidence that next year’s targets would also be met.
He also highlighted what he described as a significant recovery of more than 450 billion rupees through court proceedings over the past year, calling it a record achievement in revenue enforcement.
Aurangzeb maintained that the government’s economic strategy was beginning to show measurable results, even as political debate over fiscal policy remained sharply divided in parliament.
