Tag: Usman Buzdar

  • Punjab govt misses tax collection target by over Rs20 billion

    Punjab govt misses tax collection target by over Rs20 billion

    The Punjab government has missed its tax collection target in July, costing the provincial exchequer an amount of Rs20.45billion, The Express Tribune reported.

    According to reports, the provincial government collected Rs11.91billion, down by 63 per cent from its target of Rs32.33billion, and economic experts associate the reduction in tax collections with the fiscal crisis that currently grips the country.

    “If the economy remains in this condition, revenue will continue to fall,” the report quoted an expert as saying.

    Several factors, including lower than usual property tax, irrigation tax, income tax, and land revue, contributed to the overall shortfall. During July, the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) collection under stamp duty, property tax, irrigation tax, income tax, and land revenue fell by 20.41 per cent, due to which the tax authority was only able to bag Rs5.38billion instead of Rs6.76billion.

    Similarly, a reduction of 22.16 per cent in property transfer, professional tax, professional excise, and other indirect taxes resulted in a shortfall of Rs0.73 billion.

    The provincial exchequer received another blow in lower than expected collection of sales tax and other indirect taxes. Out of the Rs13.87billion, only Rs318.6million ended up in the provincial coffers.

    Experts believe slowing economic growth will result in lower revenues for the government. And if current trends continue, the government revenue receipts will fail to match the budgeted targets.

    Official sources, on the other hand, confirmed the English daily that the targets were not being met due to the current economic crisis. However, they were hopeful that the coming year would yield better results and bring in greater revenue through taxation.

  • Buzdar’s mouthpiece resigns from office

    Buzdar’s mouthpiece resigns from office

    Amid reports claiming that Punjab Chief Minister (CM) Usman Buzdar will soon be sacked by Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan, his spokesperson, Dr Shahbaz Gill, has resigned from office.

    “I hereby resign from the post of official spokesperson to Punjab CM,” Gill stated in a handwritten note submitted to the office of the provincial chief executive.

    Initially, Gill did not cite any reason behind his abrupt decision, however, reports quoted the former spokesperson as saying that “it was difficult for him to defend the poor performance of the Punjab government”.

    In a tweet posted earlier in the day, Gill had said that he would be sharing an “important decision” very soon.

    Rumour has it that Gill will be replacing Dr Firdous Ashiq Awan as the special assistant to the PM on information and broadcasting.

    Meanwhile, PM Imran’s close aide Awn Chaudhry has reportedly been removed as the advisor to Punjab CM as well. He has been replaced by Asif Mehmood.

  • ‘CM Buzdar likely to lose his job’

    ‘CM Buzdar likely to lose his job’

    Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan has held one-on-one meetings with Punjab information and culture as well as higher education ministers, fueling rumours that Chief Minister (CM) Usman Buzdar’s job might be at risk, Pakistan Today has reported.

    According to reports, Info Minister Mian Aslam Iqbal and Higher Education’s Raja Yasir Humayun Sarfraz are being considered for the slot of Punjab CM in Buzdar’s place.

    Some powerful circles in the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) are making efforts to elevate Iqbal to the top slot and it is quite likely that he will be appointed as the next provincial chief executive, reports said.

    “I talked to the PM about information technology and Iqbal must have talked to him about his own ministry,” the English daily quoted Yasir as saying. “The premier is satisfied with the provincial cabinet’s performance and there are no changes expected soon.”

    Meanwhile, sources also confirmed The Current that no such development was on cards.

    The representative of Dera Ghazi Khan’s PP-286 constituency since his 2018 electoral win, Buzdar was nominated as PTI’s candidate for the office of Punjab CM in August last year.

    His nomination by PM Imran had surprised many within the party and subsequent election as the provincial chief executive had left the opposition stunned. Despite criticism, PM Imran has time and again reiterated his support for CM Buzdar.

  • Student arrested for posing as PRO to CM Buzdar

    Student arrested for posing as PRO to CM Buzdar

    A university student, posing as the public relations officer (PRO) to Chief Minister Punjab Usman Buzdar was arrested and sent to Adiala jail.

    According to police sources, Hamza Feroz, a resident of Gulraiz Colony, Rawalpindi, wanted police protocol for his parents who returning from Hajj. In this matter, he called the police security branch and introduced himself as the chief minister’s PRO and asked for police deployment along the route starting from Golra Mor to Soan Camp.

    Feroz’s demand made the chief security officer (CSO) of Special Branch suspicious, who then verified details and found them to be fake. The CSO then informed the city police officer and alerted the police.

    Hamza along with his brother was going to the Islamabad International Airport (IIA) in a luxury car with a flashing blue revolving light and Pakistan’s flag on its front to receive their parents when the police intercepted them for driving recklessly. Upon investigation, it was revealed that he was the same person posing to be the CM’s PRO. The police then took them into custody.

    It was further revealed that the vehicle the brothers were driving was not verified and no customs had been paid on it. The car was seized by the customs staff while the student claiming to be the PRO to the chief minister was sent to Adiala jail. Hamza’s brother obtained pre-arrest bail.

    Chief Minister Usman Buzdar has already directed all administrative departments and divisional and district police chiefs not to entertain requests made in person or on phone by unknown persons posing themselves as his relatives and to double-check anyone who claims to be. The directives were issued after some people had falsely represented themselves as relatives of the chief minister in order to get favours.

  • CM Buzdar sends mangoes as gifts to TV anchors and party workers

    Chief Minister (CM) Punjab Usman Buzdar has been alleged of using public money to send mangoes as gifts to T.V anchors, ministers and party workers.

    A Daily Times writer, Zeeshan Khan Niazi from his Twitter account had yesterday posted pictures of the list including names of Pakistan Tehreeke Insaf (PTI) party workers, ministers, T.V anchors from ARY News channel, among else, to whom mangoes were being sent as a gift.

    Further proving those pictures to be authentic, Arshad Sharif, who is a programme host on ARY news channel has posted pictures of courier boxes and wrote that he has returned the gift and urged Usman Buzdar to give them to “deserving people”, instead.

    Furthermore, in another tweet, he wrote that he has received multiple calls from the chief minister’s staff from different numbers and told them that he “does not accept gifts from government officials”.

    However, chief minister’s spokesperson Dr. Shahbaz Gill has rejected claims of using public money and clarified that CM Buzdar has used his own money to buy these gifts, that are worth a few hundred only.

  • Buzdar beats Shehbaz in social sector reforms, increases education budget to Rs89.8bn

    Buzdar beats Shehbaz in social sector reforms, increases education budget to Rs89.8bn

    Punjab Chief Minister (CM) Sardar Usman Buzdar has beaten his predecessor Shehbaz Sharif in reforming the social sector, as an amount of Rs89.8 billion has been earmarked for the provincial education sector.

    As per the details, presenting the provincial budget on Friday, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government enhanced the education budget, which under the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) rule stood at Rs52.35 billion.

    In its last provincial budget for the fiscal year 2017-18, the outgoing PML-N government had allocated Rs52.35 billion for school education and Rs28 billion for providing basic facilities at government schools.

    An amount of Rs6.03 billion had been fixed for the construction of new classrooms in Punjab schools.

    According to the budget presented by the Buzdar administration, health stands second in the social sector with Rs47.5 billion. Water supply & sanitation will gain Rs22.4 billion, local governments Rs6.3 billion, social welfare Rs1 billion and women development Rs0.8 billion.

    Meanwhile, Rs350 billion have been allocated for the Annual Development Programme (ADP) 2019-20, which stood at Rs635bn under the Shehbaz administration in 2017-18.

  • Usman Buzdar outclasses Balochistan, KP, Sindh chief ministers

    Usman Buzdar outclasses Balochistan, KP, Sindh chief ministers

    Despite the ire that Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has drawn for its economic policies and questionable performance of some of its lawmakers, Punjab Chief Minister (CM) Usman Buzdar has outperformed all his counterparts.

    According to the latest survey conducted by Gallup Pakistan, CM Buzdar has topped performance charts against the chief ministers of Balochistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) and Sindh.

    The survey was conducted on the holistic performance of all
    chief ministers in the previous year. As many as 37 per cent people termed CM Buzdar’s
    performance good, followed by KP CM at 34 per cent, Balochistan CM at 30 per cent
    and then Sindh CM at 27 per cent.

    A total of 60 per cent of Pakistanis (those who voted for him
    as very good, good and appropriate) are satisfied with CM Buzdar’s performance.

    A large chunk (65 per cent) of youngsters are among those satisfied
    with the Punjab CM.

    ‘WE LOVE IMRAN KHAN’:

    Meanwhile, a majority of Pakistanis have a favourable
    opinion of Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan’s performance after his first nine
    months in power.

    According to the same survey, 58 per cent people are
    satisfied with his individual performance as prime minister.

    The survey, however, showed that the performance of the PTI
    government in the field of economy was weaker than the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz
    (PML-N) government. According to 51 per cent people, the PML-N government’s
    performance in the field of economy was better than the current government.

  • Bahawalpur man wants CM Buzdar to ‘stop having photo sessions and start working’

    Bahawalpur man wants CM Buzdar to ‘stop having photo sessions and start working’

    Punjab Chief Minister Sardar Usman Buzdar has been asked to “stop having photo sessions and start working” by a man who intercepted him during the former’s visit to a Ramzan Bazaar.

    The man, who claims to be the president of Bahawalpur Traders’ Union, can be heard asking the chief minister to not only visit the relief bazaars but also keep a check on the traders.

    WATCH VIDEO:

    “Please don’t just have photo sessions and work too. Ask them to work,” the man can be heard as saying.

    Under the provincial government’s Ramzan Package 2019, a total of 309 fair price bazaars have been set up across Punjab. The government claims to keep a strict eye on quality, quantity and prices of essential items available there.