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Islamabad: The Senate Standing Committee on Finance and Revenue, led by Senator Saleem Mandviwalla, convened today at Parliament House to discuss a multitude of critical financial and legislative matters, including budget implementation, officer assignments, and several key government bills.
According to Senate of Pakistan, the committee first reviewed the progress on budget recommendations, assessing their full, partial, or non-implementation. Discussions extended to the status of officers assigned as Officer on Special Duty (OSD), with confirmations that no officers have been appointed to such roles within the past two years, despite contrary claims from the Prime Minister’s office. The committee expressed concerns over these discrepancies and planned an in-camera meeting to delve deeper into the matter.
On the legislative front, the committee decided to defer several government bills, including amendments to banking and deposit protection laws, until the new government assumes office. The interim government’s authority to amend the constitution was questioned during the deliberations.
Additional topics covered included nominations to the FBR Policy Board, with Senator Zamir Hussain Ghumro’s appointment being ratified. The State Bank of Pakistan also raised issues concerning money laundering through solar panel imports, prompting a request for another in-camera session to address this serious concern.
The committee also tackled tax exemptions for educational and health institutions, affirming the need for stringent monitoring to ensure that funds are used for intended purposes, and not for profit.
Lastly, the importation of hydrocarbon solvents, a vital component in petroleum, was discussed. The committee suggested reclassifying it as a petroleum product and referred the matter to the Ministry of Commerce for appropriate action.
The session saw active participation from key Senate members and the Federal Minister of Finance and Revenue, Muhammad Aurangzeb, highlighting the collaborative efforts to refine financial governance and oversight.
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