With the federal budget 2011-2012 expected to be announced on Friday, eyes and ears remained glued on the country’s policy-makers.
While rising inflation continues to burden the urban masses, there has been talk of tax relief on lower income-brackets as well as debates on the introduction of new taxes forced by international money-lending forces. And as education becomes a ‘matter of life and death’ for the nation, many people are expecting a much needed increase in educational expenditure. With that follows the need for job-creation, private sector growth and the responsibility to rebuild the devastated flood-hit parts of the nation.
But how does a 45-minute speech full of complex financial terms really affect the common man?
Dawn.com would like you to share your views and opinions on the eve of the federal budget 2011-12.
* Illustration by Faraz Aamer Khan/Dawn.com
A layman just want to know if he will get any relieve in this budget. his main concern will be the basic necessities which if fulfilled lead him to think about other budget issues.
I personally believe that incompetent members of our Parliament don’t want a common man to understand what decisions are taken for their fate.
I am a layman and i want to know who are the powers preventing to impose tax on agriculture income and other incomes which can increase our tax base.
we should not solely depend on Taxes to increase our revenue, we need investments and trade aswell.
Finance ministers from M/s shoib to Hafiz sheikh – have only added to the misery of the common man.
The present one has multiplied. The situation is unlikely to change unless corruption (from the highest
level is eliminated, number of ministers (etc) is curtailed, expenses at that level are controlled – the
common will go down and down down.
Government Employees also deserve appropriate rise in salaries i.e 100% as inflation has already beaten all the previous records.
Inspite of complex financial terms and lots of money allocation for do nothing, common man just looks for the aims and morals behind new bugdet, either govt has changed its aproach for the solution of common man problems, or there will be same rhetoric ahead next year.
ASA.
What can be the budget Speech? This much amount/percentage has been imposed as tax on Oil [Ghee], Flour, Sugar. Government has planned to eliminate the subsidy on Oil prices resulting the rise in the prices and Electricity which would enable us to generate more money for the new power stations [and infact it would cost them their luxurious life],
Keeping into view the security concerns of the country we have decided to spend 85% of budget now on Defense [which would again destroy our educational reforms and economy]. so and so. This would be the part of the speech.
Now what it should be…..
“1. We have decided to reduce the PM, President house budget to 1 million Rupees per month.
2. They will suffer the same load shedding to decrease the short fall, emergency lights will be used for 3 hours daily in the both offices of the heads of the state.
3. PM, President and Governors/CMs will take the salary of Grade 22 officer and rest will be donated to the Flood Affected Peoples.
4. For the next one year all the foreign visits of the Heads of the state/Provinces will be charged 25% from them.
5. The Education sector will be given the 20% of the Total budget this year.
6. The defense sector will be given the 50% of the total budget this year and if USA needs Pak to fight in Waziristan, do co-operate with Pak Army and provide them all the equipments they need.
7. 5% of the total budget will be allocated to the R&D of the energy crisis.
8. Noteable increase in the Basic Salaries of the laborers.
9. Strict policies and collection of the taxes from the wealthier persons of the country including the land mafia and fudals.
”
But this can only be done where there is justice in the society and the rulers are willing to bring a change and have a dare to face the common man standing in front of them with eyes in their eyes.
May we all get this type of budget speech very soon.
Budget is a hot issue nowadays. While reading several articles and press statements, i wonder why we spend lots of time and energy (of course, lots of funds) on preparing budgets and Development goals, which always result in very good plans, but history has proved that ”good plans” are FUTILE, if implementation and review are not proper.
Our history is full of very good plans (with proven results) i-e Common man’s budget of 1946-47 (prepared and implemented under leadership of Liaqat ali Khan), 5 year plans of 1950s & 60s ( successfully implemented by Far-eastern countries).
I am totally convinced that with few changes in old plans, we can overcome our challenges. Instead of spending ”valuable time” in planning, we should focus on ”implementation”, with true spirit of sacrifice for our country.
hope somebody will think on these lines
how much we will spend on defence forces, let it be transparent and public should decide for how long we want to feed the white elephant.
When one’s house is in order, one can run it according to the priorities: social justice, security, trasparence, the matrix of education, scientific reseach and development, creating and depending on one’s resources. For Pakistan, it has to collect taxes from all the sectors concerned without any favour and ensure foolproof accountability by fighting the corroding political and financial corruption.
What general public wants,immediate relief and enhanced purchasing power.this budget should not over-burden the nation with additional exorbitant taxes.
The terms used and agenda to follow, for the 45 min speech, is really contingent on the greater audience (the common man or the uncommon cream) and the objective (help audience understand or aim to confuse the audience). For a common man to understand and talk in his/her interests, keep it simple:
1. Use the lingo as in the newspapers; everyone understands it. May not resonate with the appropriateness of a national address, but gets the common man to understand.
2. Relate the impact of federal budget policies to the common man’s daily life and future of his/her family. This may not be a typical agenda/script to follow, but captures the common man’s interest.
3. Relate the impact of federal budget policies to the nation as a whole. National addresses like these are the perfect venue to institutionalize and reinforce national sprit, gets the common man think outside his/her own box.
And needless to say, the address shall be in Urdu so we can all understand.
It would be helpful if “Dawn” did a “layman’s analysis” of the budget like the BBC does..
There are just going to be speeches , like last budget. Every segment of the budget is usually the same every year esp in this regime, they just adjust 5% on each segment to show that they have done some work. The main target is always the PSDP in order to adjust the inefficiencies.Illiteracy and Education are the biggest challenges faced by the common man, with increased threat from the crimes arising from the extreme poverty situations.
To analyze any budget we focus on the following .
1. how it aims to reduce poverty and provide measures of relief
2. how it tries to improve taxation system
3. how it plans to increase growth
4. how far governmet efficiency issues are addressed
5. what incentives it provides for savings and investments.
what kind of a budget it can be when our main focused area is debt servicing n defence while the least prioritize area is health n education.meanwhile our fiscal deficit is rising,govt borrowing from banking sector is leaving less room for private borrowing which hamper the growth.lack of energy makes industries to shut down people to unemployed while law n order situation is out of control.inflation is expected to cross 16%. all type of taxes recently introduced ,implemented or proposed shows how we plan to deal the situation as we are not ready to plug the loopholes or increasing our tax base just wanna squeeze the same cow again n again.
Indeed the language used is meant for people who have some knowledge or qualification in economics. It is probably meant like that otherwise if common man understood their huge claims of gains in national economy they would not believe so they just get away with that. People really want to see change and prosperisty in explicit and clear terms. Thats what they want to appreciate however this may not be possible for such a forum like national assembly members of which would like to listen to the change in terms of numbers! So this is a difficult situation. Its better that a separate speech, which is more lay man type, be given to the nation by the PM to take the populaiton into confidence and agreement!