PARLIAMENTARY SEMINAR ON STATE OF ECONOMY AND ANNUAL BUDGET FOR HONOURABLE MEMBERS OF PROVINCIAL ASSEMBLY OF BALOCHISTAN (WEDNESDAY, JUNE 15, 2022)

EXCHANGE PROGRAMS, FUNCTIONARIES, MEMBERS, SEMINARS & WORKSHOPS

Pakistan Institute for Parliamentary Services (PIPS), in collaboration of the Mustehkam Parliamaan EU-GIZ Project organized an interactive Parliamentary Seminar on State of Economy and Annual Budget for Hon’able Members of Provincial Assembly of Balochistan on Wednesday, June 15, 2022, in Serena Hotel, Quetta. Hon’able Acting Speaker, Provincial Assembly of Balochistan, Sardar Babar Musakhel presided the event. The Seminar was attended by more than 46 participants including Hon’able Minsters, Zamrak Khan Achakzai and Mubeen Khilji and cross party MPAs including Mir Zahoor Buledi, Sana Baloch, Malik Naseer Shahwani, Akhtar Hussain Langu, Mir Akbar Mengal, Dr. Rubaba Khan Buledi, Khalil George, Ahmed Nawaz Baloch. A delegation of senior faculty members of economics from Balochistan University of Information Technology, Engineering and Management Sciences (BUITEMS) and parliamentary functionaries of Balochistan Assembly also attended the event.

The proceedings began with recitation of Holy Quran, followed by a round of introduction of participants. Hon’able Acting Speaker, Provincial Assembly of Balochistan, Sardar Babar Musakhel gave the inaugural address. He shared his key experiences on the subject matter and focused on continuous rounds of such interactive parliamentary dialogues on economy and budget where Hon’able Members may engage with key experts to enhance collective wisdom in important area of economy. Muhammad Rizwan Manzoor, Assistant Director (PIPS Budget and Economy Desk) was the moderator of the event.

The first session on Rules of Procedure of the Balochistan Assembly and Parliamentary Tools for Budget session was facilitated by Mr. Tahir Shah Kakar, Secretary, Provincial Assembly of Balochistan. He covered key rules, constitutional provisions pertaining to annual budget, demands for grants and supplementary grants. The second session of the event on constitutional provisions on, provincial budget and fiscal oversight, was facilitated by Mr. Aizaz Asif, PFM Experts Mustehkam Parlimaan. He shed light on available parliamentary authority through parliamentary committees in actual participation in budget making, authorization and scrutiny of various ministries throughout the year.

Dr. Amanat Ali (Professor of Economics, Quaid-i-Azam University, Islamabad) facilitated an important session of the event on key economic challenges of Pakistan’s economy as well as challenges and opportunities of economy of Balochistan. A high intellectual debate was generated on resources constraint, current account crises, growing debt, hiking interest rates and exchange rates, with background of such issues and possible set of solutions. The last session of the seminar on Provincial Share of Balochistan in the NFC: Review and analysis of the last three-years of Balochistan budget, was facilitated by Mr. Dawood Ahmed, PFM Expert of Mustehkam Parlimaan. In the end an hour long interactive Q&A session was conducted where Hon’able Members and experts deliberated on key budget and economy issues such as resources constraint, fiscal decentralization, federal-provincial coordination, NFC awards etc.

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.

PARLIAMENTARY SEMINAR ON STATE OF ECONOMY AND ANNUAL BUDGET FOR HONOURABLE MEMBERS OF PROVINCIAL ASSEMBLY OF BALOCHISTAN (WEDNESDAY, JUNE 15, 2022)

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