The Federal budget was announced on 5th June 2010. Till today both houses of parliament are in session to debate the budget and the government’s spending for the next fiscal years but for some reason, the whole process has failed to attract parliamentarians to attend the sessions. The attendance remains very low. Being the most effectively air-conditioned building in Islamabad (not to mention the whole of Pakistan), uninterrupted power supplies and free food, even all these temptations failed to lure them to attend the sessions.
A leading Newspaper captured the jest just right and reported the following:
“According to the Free and Fair Election Network (FAFEN), only on the first day of the budget session was a healthy 72% of the National Assembly members present in the house. After that, attendance nose-dived. Three days later, 122 members were present at the onset of the sitting and they were reduced to 71 by the end of the session. By June 10, the session started with 42 parliamentarians though by the end of the day, 104 members turned up. On June 12, 47 members showed up. The numbers have remained more or less the same since then.
We wish that the present government, which has taken so many other positive steps for strengthening democracy, will also take steps to help our legislators improve their performance and contribute more effectively for the betterment of this nation.”
On one side where you have a declining economy due to terrorism and power-crisis, new taxes are being imposed on the already marginalized tax-payer, the least the parliamentarians can do is participate in the debate to generate new ideas to put an end to these miseries.
The elected representatives need to take interest in budget debates, as they are there to represent the masses. It is vital that development budgets are discussed at length so that they reflective of the needs of the public.
Good post. Rightly mentioned these miseries need to be cut down and democracy strengthened. The less percentage of GDP contributed towards education comes as a shame as well. Education is an aspect that should be given maximum consideration.