SEMINAR ON STATE OF ECONOMY AND ANNUAL BUDGET WITH HONOURABLE SENATORS (Thursday, JUNE 23, 2022)

EXCHANGE PROGRAMS, FUNCTIONARIES, MEMBERS, NATIONAL, SEMINARS & WORKSHOPS

A Parliamentary Seminar on State Of Economy and Annual Budget for honorable Members of Senate of Pakistan was jointly organized by the Senate of Pakistan, Pakistan Institute for Parliamentary Services (PIPS) and EU funded Project “Mustehkam Parlimaan” at Parliament House, Islamabad on Thursday, June 23, 2022. The proceedings began with the recitation of Holy Quran followed by the welcome remarks and introduction of agenda by Dr. Pervez Abbas, Deputy Team Leader EU Project Mustehkam Parlimaan and welcome address by Mr. Muhammad Anwar, Executive Director, Pakistan Institute for Parliamentary Services (PIPS) and Mr Qasim Samad Khan, Secretary Senate.

The seminar was attended by 40 participants including honourable Senators, Hidayatullah Khan, Dost Muhammad Khan, Danesh Kumar, Umer Farooq, Walid Iqbal, Afnanullah Khan, Syed Sabir Shah, Bahramand Khan Tangi, Mohammad Abdul Qadir, Fida Muhammad and team research PIPS and Senate. In the first session, Mr. Dawood Ahmed, PFM Expert, Mustehkam Parlimaan, deliberated about Budget Books followed by salient features of Annual Budget Statements and Budget in Brief FY2022-23.

Reputed Economist and SBP Chair of Economics, Dr. Waseem Shahid Malik who is Adjunct Faculty of the Pakistan Institute for Parliamentary Services since 2014 conducted an absorbing interactive session on “State and Challenges of Economy,” as well as key microeconomic and macroeconomic challenges of economy that could be focus of Government for ensuring short run and long run economic growth and development. He underlined that the over the years Pakistan Economy has become more a consumption economy orienting itself towards services sectors rather focusing on industry and agriculture. Strengthening agricultural and industrial base as well as strong institutions may guarantee sustainable and long term economic growth. Last but not the least, Mr. Aizaz Asif, PFM Expert from Mustehkam Parlimaan highlighted available parliamentary authority especially with regard to role of parliamentary committees in actual participation during all steps of budget making, authorization and scrutiny of various ministries throughout the year.

Honourable Senators took active part in the discussion making seminar an interactive roundtable to trace issues and challenges of economy in wake of reaching some set of recommendations for short run and long run remedies to achieve economic growth. Honorable Deputy Chairman Senate, Mirza Muhammad Afridi termed the seminar as an effective and important initiative by team PIPS and Mustehkam Parlimaan. He emphasized that PIPS is parliament’s think tanks that allows MPs to have direct access with experts and area specialists to bring policy reforms for the national development and progress. He was of the view that long term planning was needed to overcome the current financial woes and debt situation. “We should lend support to small businesses. Macro and Micro Economic factors must be reviewed. We need to think about how to build the Nation. Senate has to play its part”, said Mirza Muhammad Afridi, Deputy Chairman Senate/ Vice President PIPS BoG. The four hour event concluded with Vote of Thanks and a Group Photo.

On the direction of the Chairman Senate/President PIPS Board of Governors, the Pakistan Institute for Parliamentary Services (PIPS), has implemented a comprehensive set of measures aimed at ensuring fiscal discipline, operational efficiency, and responsible utilization of public resources, on the same lines as notified and adopted by the Senate and National Assembly Secretariats.

Under the new measures, the Institute has adopted a four-day working week (Monday to Thursday), while introducing a hybrid working model whereby 50% of staff will perform duties from the office and 50% will work remotely on a rotational basis. Employees working from home will remain fully accessible through digital communication platforms and may be required to report to the office on short notice, ensuring uninterrupted institutional functioning.

Significant steps have also been taken to promote energy conservation. These include a target of achieving up to 70% reduction in energy consumption through minimizing unnecessary use of electricity and ensuring that official meetings, trainings, and events are scheduled during daylight hours. Foreign tours are banned and international meetings are being held virtually.

In the transport section, PIPS has introduced strict measures to curtail expenditure and 70% official vehicles have been grounded as part of this initiative.

As part of broader austerity efforts, 20% reduction has been imposed on the non-ERE budget for the fourth quarter of the current financial year. The officers drawing a monthly salary of PKR 300,000 or more, shall surrendered two days salary or 5% to 30% salary on gross as per Federal Government decision.

The Institute has also discontinued all non-essential procurements with immediate effect. Official functions such as dinners and receptions will not be hosted, except in the case of visiting foreign delegations, and even then, strictly in accordance with austerity protocols.

These measures have been implemented with immediate effect and will remain in force until further orders.

Under the guidance of President PIPS Board of Governors, Syed Yousaf Raza Gilani, PIPS remains fully committed to maintaining its core functions of parliamentary support, capacity building, and research while contributing proactively to national austerity and sustainability goals.

SEMINAR ON STATE OF ECONOMY AND ANNUAL BUDGET WITH HONOURABLE SENATORS (Thursday, JUNE 23, 2022)

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