Govt making hectic efforts to provide relief to masses: NA told

Islamabad: The National Assembly, which met at Parliament House in Islamabad on Monday with Speaker Raja Pervaiz Ashraf in the chair, was informed that the government is making hectic efforts to provide relief to the common man keeping in view the current inflationary trends.

Responding to the queries of the members during Question Hour in the House today, Minister of State for Finance Aisha Ghaus Pasha said: “We have enhanced the stipends under Benazir Income Support Program (BISP) to support the deserving families”.

She stated that Ramadan package has also been given to provide essential commodities to the people at reduced rates.

Aisha informed: “The government is also planning to provide targeted subsidy on petroleum products,” adding that it is our effort to bring down the inflation which has both domestic and international factors.

“We need the cooperation of the provinces to check the price hike,” the Minister of State said.

Aisha Ghaus Pasha added that government is also giving priority to the tax revenue mobilization in view of the current economic challenges and to reduce deficits.

She said a committee has been formed to expedite tax cases pending in different courts.

Responding to a question, the Minister of State further said: “The government is committed to an interest-free economy,” adding that a committee has been constituted and deliberations are underway to prepare a transformational plan in this regard.

Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Murtaza Javed Abbassi told the House that National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) has received data of the houses destroyed in recent floods from the three provinces, while data from two federating units is still awaited.

Murtaza Javed stated: “The minimum compensation for fully damaged houses has been revised up to five hundred thousand rupees and for partially damaged houses, it has been fixed at two hundred and fifty thousand rupees”.                                                                                                          

At the outset, newly elected Member of National Assembly (MNA) Muhammad Mohsin Leghari took oath of his office.

Speaker National Assembly Raja Pervaiz Ashraf administered the oath to him.