ISLAMABAD: The opposition in the National Assembly (NA) on Friday staged a protest when it was disclosed that over 80 percent tax is imposed on Petroleum Oil Lubricant (POL) products.
Speaking on a point of order, Aamir Dogar criticised the government for increasing the price of petroleum products, triggering inflation and price hike. Jamshaid Dasti criticized the government for what he described as the anti people measures. Ayesha Gulalai said the increase in petroleum products should be withdrawn. “The government should avoid the practice of meeting FBR’s revenue targets through taxation on petroleum products,” PPP’s Naveed Qamar said while asking the government to reduce the GST on petroleum products.
However, Parliamentary Secretary for Cabinet Secretariat, Raja Muhammad Javed Ikhlas, told the NA that the government is still paying Rs4.2 billion per annum subsidy on diesel prices and POL product prices are still lower in Pakistan as compared to neighbouring countries,. Responding to a Calling Attention Notice moved by Syed Naveed Qamar, Dr Nafisa Shah, Shazia Marri, Mir Ijaz Hussain Jakhrani and Syed Ghulam Mustafa Shah, he said the POL product prices would be decreased in case of decrease in the international markets. He said the Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (Ogra) had proposed a 31 percent increase in Petroleum Oil Lubricant (POL) products prices but the prime minister had approved only 25 percent increase on February 28.
The agenda of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) government is progress and prosperity of the country, he said. Responding to Point of Order on petroleum product prices Pakistan (SBP), he said. The minister said all banks have to follow the guidelines given by the SBP in waiving off the loans. He said as per 2008 financial law, the banks are empowered to auction unilaterally all mortgaged properties. However, the Supreme Court set aside the said clause, he said. Afzal said the banks were again empowered in 2016 through legislation to auction the mortgaged properties under the direction given by the Apex Court. He said there are proper laws for willful defaulters and such people are tried under criminal act and National Accountability Bureau laws. The minister said the Senate Standing Committee on Finance is also looking into the matter of loan defaulters and waivers and complete list of all defaulters and waivers was provided to it.
Earlier, moving the notice, Rana Muhamamd Hayat urged the House for bringing effective legislation to recover loans from all the defaulters and those who had got their loans waived off. Later, Speaker Sardar Ayaz Sadiq referred the matter to the Standing Committee on Finance with the direction to present a comprehensive report in 15 days to the House. The Speaker also directed to take up the pending cases with the courts through law ministry.
