MPs express displeasure over absence of Hafeez from NA body meeting

ISLAMABAD – Members of the National Assembly Standing Committee on Finance and Revenue on Tuesday expressed displeasure over the absence of Finance Minister Abdul Hafeez Shaikh from the committee meeting.

Committee member Nafeesa Shah said that finance minister should have attended the committee’s meeting instead of running his campaign for the Senate’s election. She said that Hafeez Shaikh can be seen everywhere except attending his prime job. However, committee chairman Faiz Ullah, MNA, said that finance minister is busy in his campaign for the election of Senate, which would be held today (Wednesday).

The meeting of National Assembly Standing Committee on Finance and Revenue was held in Parliament House, Islamabad, under the chairmanship of Faiz Ullah, MNA to discuss various government’s bills. The Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan (SECP)’s officials have briefed the committee on ‘Corporate Companies Restructuring Amendment Bill’. They said that government is bringing amendments in the bill by enhancing the role of the Corporate Companies. After the amendments, the Corporate Companies would act as agent. The Committee has discussed “The Corporate Restructuring Companies (Amendment) Bill, 2020) (Government Bill). Secretary, Ministry of Finance, Deputy Governor, State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) and the representative from Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan (SECP) briefed the Committee about the salient features of the said Bill.

The Committee unanimously endorsed the need of the Bill, however requested to SBP, for detailed presentation in this regard before the enactment of such kind of legislation and decided that next meeting on this Bill will be held on 4th March, 2021. The Committee deferred the remaining agenda due to paucity of time.

The meeting was attended by Qaiser Ahmed Sheikh, Ali Pervaiz, Dr. Aisha Ghaus Pasha, Dr. Nafisa Shah and Ms. Hina Rabbani Khar, MNAs. The meeting was also attended by the senior officers from M/o Finance, Federal Board of Revenues (FBR), M/o Planning, Development and Special Initiatives, M/o Law and Justice, SBP and SECP.