By Sanaullah Baloch
ONE of the major political tasks before the newly elected central government is to create a broad consensus on the overdue National Finance Commission before the 2008-2009 budget.
Fiscal decentralisation envisaged under the NFC is an issue of prime national importance and the government in Islamabad truly needs to understand the significance and principles of fiscal federalism for a workable political system and sustainability of the nascent democracy.
No one disputes the need for a policy of fairness and equity in governance, development and equal distribution of resources. The unfair distribution of monetary assets is one of the foremost causes for the political and social unrest in the deprived provinces.
Previous governments continuously ignored the constitutional guarantees with regard to the fair and just distribution of fiscal resources among the federating units. Despite the expiry of its five-year term in 2002, the 1997 controversial NFC award is still in force with some minor amendments introduced unilaterally by President Musharraf in 2005. Calculated delays in the fair and equitable distribution of national resources have had a crippling effect on the economies of the suppressed provinces.
Historically, all NFC awards have been imposed by the central government — ignoring the basic needs and demands of the depri ved provinces. The resource distribution controversy dates back to the breakup of Pakistan. But after the fall of Dhaka, the proponents (Punjab) of the parity principle became the pleaders of population as the only criterion for the distribution. Punjab insists on making population the sole basis, while Sindh, Balochistan and the NWFP demand that revenue-generation collection, geographical size and underdevelopment must be given due weight for resource distribution.
However, the universal criteria for the sharing or allocation of resources are multiple and include resource generation, the area, social and economic needs and future prospects of the regions. The government of India considers 11 principles for the distribution of fiscal resources to the unions (provinces) and there has been no delay in announcing the NFC since 1947.
The newly elected government, if it genuinely wants to redress the grievances of the smaller provinces and get rid of the unjust policies of past regimes, must come up with a universally accepted and justified policy of resource distribution. As signatories of the Charter of Democracy, the PPP and the PML-N are morally duty-bound to announce a fresh, justified and consensus NFC award before the budget.
The NFC is linked to two major issues that have to be addressed including the vertical and horizontal distribution of financial resources. Vertical imbalance arises from the centralisation of revenue collection with the federal government and excessive dependence of provincial governments on federal transfers. However, the disproportionate horizontal distribution of resources on the basis of population results in disparities in the capacities and needs of the provinces and in the relative costs of development and the provision of public services.
Repeatedly provinces have raised their concerns over the unfair (both vertical and horizontal) distribution and the deliberate delay in working out a resource distribution formula by the central government.
A view that prevails in Sindh, Balochistan and the NWFP is that these provinces must contribute their resources to the centre in proportion to their population, contrary to the policy of the central government. In this regard on May 8, 2003, the NWFP provincial assembly passed a unanimous resolution that the provinces should contribute funds — in proportion to their respective share under the country’s total population — to the federal government to meet its expenses. In the same resolution, the assembly asked the federal government to allocate all national resources to the federating units. Similar demands were raised by the Balochistan assembly.
All three provinces also demand that the central government must distribute fairly the amount generated from its borrowings and privatisation and the aid received after 9/11. They also want the advantage of the relief procured from the rescheduling of foreign debts to go to the federating units.
Being a democratic government, the present rulers have to avoid further injustice to the smaller provinces. The longstanding demands of the provinces and the recommendations that have been ignored deliberately by the central government must be incorporated in the proposed upcoming NFC award.
Balochistan’s demands for equal wellhead price for gas, increase in gas development surcharge and gas royalty must be addressed accordingly. Sindh’s demands for multiple criteria and for reconsidering its share in the NFC award on the basis of revenue generation also need to be considered. The NWFP’s demands for net hydel power profit as per decision of the Council of Common Interest of January 1991 will also have to be reviewed. The grievances of the province regarding net hydel profit, particularly the arrears of Rs342bn accumulated against the Wapda, have been ignored by the central government for long.
Provinces have also recommended that sales tax collection be kept outside the divisible pool and be given to the provinces and that the central government should retain only two per cent — not five per cent — of the total divisible pool as collection or service charges.
Balochistan remains the most neglected province and 88 per cent of its population lives in subhuman conditions. The province has suffered at the hands of almost every award on account of the population criterion that does not take into consideration the problems of poverty and territory.
Balochistan needs more resources and authority to exercise its choice to develop a strategy of its own for economic and social development. Its share in gas-related revenues and supply are minimal. The gas distribution companies are controlled by the federal government and stationed outside the province. Sui gas has been Pakistan’s household name for the last 55 years. Yet of the Rs85bn generated by natural gas only five billion rupees accrue to the province as royalty every year. Baloch youth do not benefit from this natural resource in terms of jobs and service-related development.
For the restoration of the people’s trust in democracy and federalism the new government in Islamabad will have to pay more attention to the appalling social and economic problems of the marginalised provinces. Revenue-sharing among the provinces under a new NFC award is an issue of prime importance.
The writer is a senator.
balochbnp@gmail.com |
