illusion8
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Makes sense at the present situation.
The food basket of the common man will remain empty because there is nothing for the poor in the Federal Budget 2012-13 presented by the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) government on Friday.
Unfortunately, Federal Finance Minister Dr. Abdul Hafeez Shaikh, in his budget speech, neither announced anything for ending energy crisis nor to control ever-increasing inflation in the country.
Now nobody could sell or purchase property because the government imposed capital value tax (CVT) on both parties (seller and buyer) in the budget, said people interviewed by The News.
People belonging from different walks of life rejected the Federal Budget 2012-13 presented by the PPP government here on Friday. They said that once again their food basket would remain empty. The finance minister had made false claims and made big promises in his budget speech on Friday, they said.
The government employees said that the government increased inflation by more than 200% during four years and raised salaries of government employees by only 20 to 25% in the budget.
They said that the government totally failed in providing any relief to the public in its four-year rule in the country. The PPP will have to pay in the forthcoming general elections for its wrong policies, they warned.
Talking to The News, All-Pakistan Traders Association Vice-Chairman Ajmal Baloch rejected the Federal Budget 2012-13, saying that the unbridled inflation during the fiscal year 2011-12 has put an extra burden on people, as several mini-budgets affected their routine expenses. There is nothing for us in the budget, he said.
Muhammad Munir ****, an economist, said that the high prices during the fiscal year 2011-12 were mainly because of high fuel prices, ever-rising electricity and gas tariffs, GST on different commodities, floods and had little to do with depreciation of rupee against dollar. If one compares the prices in 2012 with those in 2011 there has been around 60 to 80% price hike since the last budget presented by Finance Minister Dr. Abdul Hafeez Sheikh in June 2011, he claimed. He also said that prices of kitchen items, including sugar, ghee, meat, milk, pulses, vegetables and fruit witnessed more increase till June 2012 as compared to corresponding period in 2011.
According to the data available with The News, after presentation of the budget for fiscal year 2011-12, the Utility Stores Corporation (USC) increased the rate of all brands ghee and cooking oil by Rs10 per kilogram from Rs192 to Rs202. The price of a 200-gram pack of branded tea was increased by Rs10. The prices of all pulses were also increased.
Similarly, one kilogram of beef was sold for Rs200-220. Now it is being sold for Rs350-450 per kilogram. One kilogram of mutton is being sold for Rs500-550 against the previous years rate of Rs300-340. Chicken was available in 2011 for Rs80 per kilogram, but since June 2012 its price jumped to Rs168 per kilogram. Similarly, prices of eggs, fruit and vegetables and confectionary items also witnessed a sharp increase during the last fiscal year.
All Pakistan Traders Association President Shaikh Muhammad Siddique said that poor people faced almost 200% increase in prices of kitchen items in fiscal year 2011-2012 as compared to fiscal year 2010-2011. People not only paid high prices for kitchen items, but also faced worst kind of electricity, gas and water crises in the country, he added.
Muhammad Zaman, a government employee, said that he listened to the budget speech only to find out whether the government would announce any raise in salaries. I am disappointed that the government announced only 20% increase in salaries of government employees, he said adding that this increase is meagre as compared to the high inflation ratio.
He said prices of kitchen items are very high and it has become very difficult for the low-paid employees to meet both ends.
Nasreen Bibi, a schoolteacher, said that every year she listens to the budget speech in the hope of announcement of relief, but this year too the budget was a disappointment for middle-income people. Prices of items of daily use increase every month with increase in prices of petroleum products, she said. She added that the government should control prices and high inflation rate, as 20% increase in salaries is not enough.
Muhammad Khan, a cart vendor, said that he was listening to the budget speech to find whether the government was going to decrease prices of atta, sugar, ghee, pulses, onion, potato and other items, but unfortunately he did not find anything interesting for him. He said the government should control prices of items of daily use to give immediate relief to the general public and should ensure uninterrupted supply of electricity, gas and water.
Food basket of common man to remain empty - thenews.com.pk
PTI looks like a good bet.
