Punjab presents pro-business budget.

LAHORE -- Finance Minister Makhdoom Hashim Jawan Bakht on Monday presented Rs2.24 trillion tax-free and relief-laden budget for the fiscal year 2020-21, amid rumpus and walkout from the Opposition.

Led by Opposition Leader Hamza Shehbaz, PML-N legislators resorted to prolong protest that culminated, when they staged a walkout from the House just before the conclusion of the budget speech.

The session started two hours behind the scheduled time with Speaker Ch Parvez Elahi in the chair. Leaders from both sides of the political divide Chief Minister Punjab Sardar Usman Buzdar and Hamza Shehbaz - attended the budget session.

The Opposition legislators went berserk when the chair did not allow PML-N's Rana Mashood Ahmed Khan to speak on a point of order. The Opposition resorted to usual tactics of gathering in front of Speaker's podium, while ignoring all SOPs of social distancing and chanting full throat slogans against PTI leadership and the present regime. PML-N legislators tore apart copies of agenda, displayed placards inscribed with anti government slogans and with writings like 'anti public budget namanzoor (unacceptable)'.

The Finance Minister continued his budget speech undeterred despite the deafening noise for almost quarter of an hour. After the Opposition walkout, the minister also introduced the Finance Bill 2020 besides presenting the Supplementary Budget statement for the year 2019-20.

To complete the day's agenda, he also laid before the House amendments in the Second Schedule and Rules under sections 5 and 76 of the Punjab Sales Tax on Services Act 2012.

Giving details of the estimates, the minister said that Rs337 billion have been earmarked for the Annual Development Program. He said that Punjab was estimated to get Rs1.433 trillion from Federal Divisible Pool, Rs220.9 billion from provincial taxes and Rs96.2 billion from non-tax receipts.

The finance minister said that the government was implementing the policy of decreasing the expenditure by adopting austerity measures. The government rejected the supplementary grants of Rs61 billion and saved Rs1.5 billion by reducing the demands of different departments under the supervision of Austerity Committee. Following the footsteps of the federation, the Punjab government had not announced any increase in the salaries of the employees, he said, adding, the Punjab government under the leadership of CM Sardar Usman Buzdar announced Rs56 billion tax relief package, which was biggest...

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