KOHAT: The government has been asked to incorporate the input of general public in the budget making process and give people an easy access to the details of taxes and expenditures.

The demand was made by the representatives of Citizens Network for the Budget Accountability (CNBA), which is a network of 15 civil society organisations working for budget reforms and accountability at the district level in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, while speaking at a news conference at the Kohat Press Club on Wednesday.

Shamul Hadi, a representative of CNBA, regretted that overseas Pakistanis, who are mostly the labour class, were important stakeholders in the budget making, but they were kept bereft of the government income and expenditures.

He demanded that the government immediately pass an ordinance, giving the common man an easy excess to the details of taxes and expenses.

He said that budget document should be published in Urdu language in an easy manner, adding input ascertained from public should be put before relevant committees before approval of the budget.

Mr Hadi said the budget should be presented in the month of March and the quantum of indirect taxation should be decreased to help the low-income category.

He said that discretionary funds of the ministries and departments should be curtailed.

The government should use single treasury account for meeting the expenses of ministries and organisations as the step would help decrease burden of foreign loans, he demanded.

Published in Dawn, January 16th, 2020