Economic hitman are still present who took the country’s current account deficit from US$2.5 billion to US$20billion
ISLAMABAD, June 27: Minister of State for Revenue Barrister Hammad Azhar on Thursday said that the country cannot be run on Benami accounts. Speaking on the floor of the Lower House of the Parliament, he said that the no power tariff was raised for consumers using upto 300 units.
The minister said the gas tariff hike would not be applicable for 45 percent consumers.
Azhar went on to say that economic hitman are still present who took the country’s current account deficit from US$2.5 billion to US$20billion, adding that during the tenure of previous government country’s foreign exchange reserves depleted to US$9 Continued on page 7
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billion despite taken despite taking US$18 billion loans in the last year.
He asked the former rulers to answer where the money has gone and where the country’s US$10 billion foreign exchange reserves had gone during the last year of the PML-N government.
“Where has the money gone,” he asked, adding whether the money went into the accounts of iqama holders, benami accounts or falooda vendors account.
This country cannot be run on telegraphic transfer (TT) or Benami accounts.
On the other hand, the National Assembly approved six demands for grants relating to Power and Petroleum Divisions, rejecting all the cut motions moved by the opposition through majority vote.
Winding up discussion on the grants, Minister for Power Division Omar Ayub Khan said 75 percent of electricity and 45 percent gas consumers will not be affected by increase in prices of these commodities.
He said the government has provided subsidy to facilitate electricity and gas consumers. Minister for Power Division said 80 percent of the total feeders are now load-shedding free across Pakistan. He said supply of additional electricity for three hours to all the feeders in Balochistan has begun. Earlier, speaking on cut motions, opposition members criticized performance of the Power and Petroleum Division and said that government has increased the prices of gas upto 300 percent which is affecting industrial sector as well as general public. They said government did not generate even one megawatts electricity but it enhanced the prices of electricity. They said no effective steps are being taken for exploration in oil sector. They said that the previous government PML-N generated 11,000 megawatts electricity but it did not increase the prices of electricity and gas. – NNI
