Finance Minister Ishaq Dar terms budget people-friendly

ISLAMABAD (92 News) – Finance Minister Ishaq Dar has said that government has presented a people-friendly budget for the fiscal year 2015-16. Addressing the post-budget press conference, he said that government has not increased prices of ghee, sugar, milk, pulses, edible oil, furnace oil and high speed diesel. “250,000 jobs will be provided,” said the minister. Dar said the government has also allocated Rs 102 billion for Benazir Income Support Programme to help the poor and destitute. The minister said custom duty on cement import has been increased to protect the local cement industry. “The price of cheap mobile phones has been decreased, while regulatory duty on mobile phones has been waived off,” he said. Ishaq Dar said 30,000 new tube-wells will be installed during the current year. The minister said that government has not withdrawn subsidy on wheat for the people of Gilgit-Baltistan.