ISLAMABAD, June 24(ABC): Pakistan is no longer heading towards a default as it has now moved on to a path of progress, Federal Minister for Finance and Revenue Miftah Ismail said Friday in his closing speech on the federal budget for the fiscal year 2022-23 in the National Assembly of Pakistan.
The premier wrapped up the discussion on budget 2022-23 after the consideration of the recommendations made by the Senate. The finance minister said there hasn’t been a more “farmer-friendly budget” in the last 10 years.
His speech in NA, where only 40 members were present, came minutes after PM Shehbaz Sharif took the nation into confidence over the “tough” decisions taken by the government for budget 2022-23.
After the debate on the budget commenced in the assembly today, Miftah said most of the recommendations put forward by lawmakers in the Senate and NA during preceding sittings had been incorporated into the budget.
“The long-term benefits of this budget will be that the country will become self-sufficient in edible oil, wheat, and other commodities just as the PML-N government had left it during its last regime,” he claimed.
Ismail said funds for farmers in the budget were not to be considered as subsidies but as investments. “We believe that if we will invest in farmers, they will give us the best returns.”
