Islamabad:
Experts in a dialogue prior to the budget on Wednesday requested inclusive tax reforms in the next budget to empower children and women who receive less attention in the country’s fiscal discourse as a residual component.
The dialogue on ‘Strengthening of fiscal policies for inclusive and sustainable development: the progress of public investments for children and responding to gender’ was jointly organized by the Ministry of Planning, Development and Special Initiatives, Institute of Sustainable Development Policy of UNICEF Pakistan and Sustainable (SDPI).
The dialogue, which focused mainly on aligning Pakistan’s fiscal strategy with inclusive growth objectives, brought together government officials, economists, development partners and civil society representatives to deliberate in the reorientation of fiscal frameworks towards equity, sustainability and inclusive growth.
The speakers said that with a budget deficit of more than 6.8 percent of GDP and debt levels greater than 70 percent, there is an urgent need to safeguard and expand investments in health, education, nutrition and social protection. Despite tax revenues below 10 percent of GDP, they said, development for children and marginalized groups cannot be delayed.
UNICEF’s ideas of public expenses (PER) revealed a persistent gap between the political commitments and real assignments of the social sector, especially in provinces as a Sindh, where education spending has decreased to 1.8 percent of GDP.
Anchored in the Uraan Pakistan program of the Government, specifically the pillar of equity and empowerment, the speakers requested specific fiscal changes towards the inclusive development and focused on people. Key priorities include digital literacy, ecological skills, access to education and civic commitment, especially for women, young people and unattended communities.
