NFC Award put on hold for two years
By: Zamir Sheikh
KARACHI - The much-awaited National Finance Commission Award has
been put on hold for at least two years and the coming 2009-10
national budget would be presented sans award, the sources concerned
confided to TheNation here on Friday.
The sources cited a number of reasons that are delaying the NFC
Award which is now expected to be announced in 2010 after the
availability of the results of the national census. The census is
set to start in October this year and its results would be available
in 2010.
The other reasons in this regard are stated to be the shortfall in
revenue, financial crisis and prevailing uncertain political
situation in the country. The political parties in the opposition
including PPP had raised hue and cry during the previous government
which had suggested an interim relief to the provinces after the
federating units failed to agree on the formula for the distribution
of resources. During that period the opposition parties insisted on
the NFC Award before presentation of the national budget and had
rejected the interim arrangement, but when the political parties
found themselves facing the dilemma of the previous govt, they have
taken the same path that they had rejected one and a half years ago.
According to the sources, the FBR has fixed the target of Rs1360b
revenue generation for the current fiscal ending on June 30 but the
board was facing shortfall of Rs181 billion. The sources said that
committee constituted by President Asif Ali Zardari, headed by PM
Advisor on Finance Shaukat Tarin and comprising four chief ministers
and one member each from the province, has also sent its
recommendations to the federal finance ministry.
It is stated that new NFC would be announced after 6th population
census to be conducted in October 2009. Though President Asif Ali
Zardari, during his recent visit to Karachi expressed his desire
that NFC award may announced before or after the budget. It may be
mentioned here that the NFC Award had been long pending issue for
the last eight years and people of the four provinces were eagerly
waiting for it.
The Nation : June 06, 2009 |
