‘MPs have no role in budget-making’

An interview with the chairman of the NA panel on Finance Qaiser Ahmed Sheikh

Qaiser Ahmed Sheikh (QAS), an MNA of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) from NA-100, Chiniot, is the Chairman of the National Assembly’s Standing Committee on Finance. He also chaired the same panel of the Lower House of Parliament during the previous PML-N term.

He is known for being very vocal on economic issues, and he openly criticises his own party’s economic policies. He frequently and actively participates in budget debates in the National Assembly.

He has served in the National Assembly for over two and a half decades.

Bol News speaks with the lawmaker on matters pertaining to the national budget and the country’s current economic situation.

Have the politicians been delivering satisfactory results?

Qaiser Ahmed Sheikh:  We, the politicians, have been unable to provide solutions to the country’s problems. Every day, we leave a negative impression on the rest of the world.

Consider the excellent prospects we had in 2018. We were on our way to becoming the world’s 18th economy, but now we are ranked 56th.

In contrast to our performance, our neighbouring country has been reaching economic milestones. India’s economy was four times larger than ours in 1990, and it is now 12 times larger than Pakistan’s.

Our GDP is approximately $360 billion, whereas India’s GDP is an estimated $4,000 billion. Our neighbour has advanced while we have been mired in trivial concerns.

Are you satisfied with Parliament’s performance?

QAS: Certainly not. I am the chairman of the National Assembly’s Finance Committee, despite my unwillingness to serve in that capacity.

Parliamentarians, I believe, have nothing in their hands. The country’s economic affairs are managed by three bureaucrats. The governor of the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP), the Secretary of Finance, and the chairman of the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) are among those named. In terms of the national economy, we parliamentarians have no influence.

Do you believe that the parliamentarian has no value in today’s climate?

QAS: We have no say in the important issues facing the country. And the media is well aware of the situation. When we visit our constituencies, voters inquire about what we have done for them.

According to the Constitution, the National Assembly would run the country’s economy with no input from the Senate. However, this is not the case right now.

We are given a budget that has already been created by someone from outside. We must approve this budget regardless of what we want in it. We will no longer be MNAs if we do not raise our hands to pass the budget.

Do things like this happen regardless of which party rules the country?

QAS: Yes, regardless of which political party rules the country, the situation remains the same.

This is why parliamentarians have not been given the responsibility of managing the country’s economy. The true role of parliamentarians is to run the economy in the best interests of the country, but this is not the case.

I am the president of the PML-N’s Finance and Commerce Wing. I also serve as the chairman of the National Assembly’s finance committee. I hold the most important titles, but not a single one of my suggestions was included in the budget.

If my input was not included in the budget, who else’s input was factored in?

Nobody has a role to play in this process. These affairs are managed by only three people who come from abroad. Only Allah knows where they are from. They are the country’s owners.

We, as parliamentarians, have been limited to only approving the budget in the assembly; otherwise, we would not be able to remain part of it.

Who is going to rectify these issues?

QAS: We are supposed to make things right. Every political party has a few leaders, and these leaders do have some importance in these matters. These leaders never pay attention to anyone else. They are supposed to fix these issues, and of course, the establishment would as well.

When a budget is prepared in India and a new tax is levied or a new policy is formulated, the budget making process is halted.

New taxes or policies are referred to the House finance committee, and the budget is only passed after the threadbare has been thoroughly discussed in the finance committee.

Simply looking into these issues in India will reveal that the tax will be imposed only after the relevant member approves it.

I’m not sure who is in charge of the country’s affairs. I have been a member of the National Assembly for the past 26 years and have held important positions, but I’m at a loss for how to address the issues that my constituents face.

Inflation is a major problem in the country. Please advise me on what I should do and what my role is in these matters.

Does your party discuss matters like the one you mentioned?

QAS: Our parliamentary committee does not meet for another three to four months, as I am a Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz member.

Then tell me who I should consult in this situation. I occasionally send messages to the Prime Minister via WhatsApp. And despite him being a very decent person, collective wisdom is required to resolve the issues being faced by the country. However, things would not improve in scenarios such as the current one.