Listening to the people’s opinions in the last night news on a Local News channel, stole my attention from my Biology notes. Interestingly enough, the people of this country do agree with me on some accord. The budget 2008-2009 that is to be presented today, has lost its value keeping in mind the present state of affairs in the country. The price hike on the necessities, the lawyers protesting with their Long March, the dis balance of power between the president and the present government, and the declining economy, one finds it difficult to ponder over so many problems at once, keeping aside his personal problems.

A country’s budget is suppose to make a difference for the common man, but sadly, that has never been the case in Pakistan. The budget division proves to be inadequate and dis balanced. This is mainly due to involvement of corrupt elements in higher as well as lower offices, who tend to keep the real figures with themselves.

The figures offered to the Reuters is of 2,010 billion rupees about US$ 2.9 billion. The budget would be targeted on subsidies on fuel, electricity and food items as stated by Mr. Naveed Qamar, Present Finance Minister, Pakistan. An interesting feature however would be a view of the defense budget, as the present government claims to disclose a very important aspect of military spending.

Whatever happens, we’ll come to see its effects after a few months. Budgets in our country have never been popular as they just prove to be a way to increase taxation and hence cause more problems to the poor, contributing to the vicious cycle of poverty. The so called popularised ease in prices always tends to prove the other way around.

With the oil prices increasing in the international market, and the growing rate of dollar, along with decreasing value of our currency, the government would surely have to make a marked difference this time. Otherwise it would just add more to the troubles of our people.