Parliamentary Budget Office: draft bill rejected
The government turned down the draft bill moved by committee member Rana Iradat Sharif, deciding instead that the Ministry of Finance and the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) will prepare a fresh draft and present it to the sub-committee.
The sub-committee, chaired by Dr Nafisa Shah, reviewed the proposal to set up a Parliamentary Budget Office.
Finance Secretary Imdadullah Bosal informed the committee the bill granted excessive powers to the proposed office. He suggested the office should have an analytical mandate for the Standing Committee, and that budget proposals be shared with the Ministry of Finance through the committee rather than directly. He also recommended that, initially, the office's scope be limited to the National Assembly.
FBR Chairman Rashid Langrial proposed that the budget office work with sectoral experts to guide parliamentarians, while officials insisted the office should not have direct authority to work with the Ministry of Finance on budget proposals. Special invitee Syed Naveed Qamar noted that many countries have similar offices to enhance parliamentary awareness.
The rejected draft proposed a 30-member budget office, including the Speaker of the National Assembly as chairperson, the Senate chairman as deputy chairperson, the chairman of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC), the finance minister, provincial assembly speakers and deputy speakers, chairpersons of the National Assembly and Senate finance committees, four senators, eight MNAs, and secretaries of both houses.
The bill suggested establishing sub-offices in provinces, Azad Jammu and Kashmir, and Gilgit-Baltistan. The proposed office would review budget analyses, government spending, and revenue estimates; brief parliamentary committees; examine legislation for fiscal impact, and review tax policies, financial estimates, and national debt sustainability.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
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