LAHORE, Nov 27: Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani has said that after the Senate the National Assembly will also approve the Reformed General Sales Tax (RGST) bill.

“If we expect the world to help us with money from their taxpayers, the world also expects us to pay taxes and generate revenue for the rehabilitation of our own people,” he said.

The prime minister was talking to journalists at the inauguration of the country's first Liver Transplant Centre at the Shaikh Zayed Hospital here on Saturday.

He announced a grant of Rs100 million for the liver transplant programme.

Punjab Governor Salman Taseer, federal Health Minister Makhdoom Shahabuddin, Cabinet Secretary Abdul Rauf Chaudhry, Prime Minister's Political Adviser Nawabzada Ghazanfar Gul and Shaikh Zayed Hospital chairman Prof Dr Anwaar A. Khan were present on the occasion.

Referring to the comments of leader of the opposition in National Assembly Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan, Mr Gilani said the opposition had the right to criticise the government.

Each such comment on the RGST bill would be evaluated carefully by the government functionaries.

He tried to dispel the impression that the PML-N was “a friendly opposition”.

Mr Gilani said that health and education sectors were the top priority of his government and the ministry of health was among the first ten ministries to be devolved to the provinces under the 18th Amendment.

He said the government was in the process of re-prioritising the Public Sector Development Programme in the aftermath of the unprecedented floods. Maximum resources would be awarded to provinces under the NFC Award, he said.