The budget for financial year 2020-21 has good news for government employees who are expected to get a raise of 20 per cent in their basic salary despite numerous economic challenges and feeble economy in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak in the country, a private TV channel reported on Saturday.
Advisor to Prime Minister on Finance Abdul Hafeez Sheikh will announce the budget on June 12 and will also announce an increase of 15 to 20 per cent in the pension of government employees. The salary raise would not apply to members of the federal cabinet, the channel reported.
The federal government will present the federal budget for financial year 2020-21 before the National Assembly on June 12. Prime Minister Imran Khan has already granted the necessary approval in this regard.
Officers of the Ministry of Finance (MoF) engaged in preparing the federal budget have been barred from leaving the federal capital to ensure that the budget-related work is completed on time.The government has decided to cut budgetary targets for the next fiscal year in view of the once-in-a-century pandemic’s adverse impact on the country’s fragile economy.
It merits mentioning that the government has decided to hold a marathon session of the National Assembly from June 5 to meet the constitutional requirement of completing a 130-day parliamentary year. The government will present the federal budget for the financial year 2020-21 during the session. Babar Awan, Adviser to the Prime Minister on Parliamentary Affairs, said: “It will be a marathon session and perhaps the longest one in the country’s history.” The session will begin on June 5 and continue till Aug 13, he added.
