ISLAMABAD: National Assembly and the Senate are set to start a hot debate on the budget for fiscal year 2013-14 from Saturday, here, Geo News reported.

The lower house will meet at 11.00 A.M. and the Senate at 4.00 P.M. to conduct proceedings.

Members from the treasury and opposition benches will hold threadbare discussion on different aspects of the budget and furnish their proposals for inclusion in the final document.

Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Leader of the opposition in national assembly Syed Khursheed Shah would have the first turn to debate over the budget. Besides criticizing the raise in sales tax, leader of the opposition would take up the issue of the collections of new taxes without the parliament’s approval.

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has already started agitations against the hike in sales tax raising prices of all daily-use items directly affecting the middle class, while the government employees have been denied any raise in their salaries.

Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) yet another opposition group in the national assembly has already rejected increase in the sales tax calling it highly inflationary badly affecting the poor and middle class, while the filthy rich have been left untouched, as the pending demand of imposition of agriculture tax on the jagirdars and feudal has again been ignored.

Awami National Party (ANP) has already submitted an adjournment motion in Senate against the imposition of sales tax.

“The entire debate would be concluded within 10-12 days before the budget is approved,” said Deputy Secretary Legislation National Assembly Muhammad Mushtaq. It is not binding on the government to incorporate any changes or improvements suggested by the opposition in the budget document. Incumbent opposition parties like their predecessors would also criticise the proposed budget’s policies but they would not be able to effect any real changes in what has already been proposed unless the government itself shows willingness to make some.

“The opposition does not have numbers,” he said, adding that the new budget would be approved before the end of this month.