Islamabad: The date of presentation of the federal budget for the financial year 2024-25 has been changed once again, due to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif visit to China.
Minister of State for Finance Ali Pervez Malik confirmed this and said that the budget will now be presented in the National Assembly on June 12 after the Prime Minister returns from China.
Reports say that the National Economic Council (NEC) will meet on June 10, followed by the unveiling of the Economic Survey on June 11.
Earlier, Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb was scheduled to present the budget on June 10.
Earlier, the Prime Minister arrived in Shenzhen, China on a five-day visit at the invitation of Chinese President Xi Jinping and Prime Minister Li Qiang. The purpose of the visit is to strengthen bilateral relations and explore new avenues of economic cooperation.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif is accompanied by a high-level delegation including Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb, Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal, Defense Minister Khawaja Asif, Energy Minister Musadik Malik and Information Minister Ataullah Tarar.
The delegation also includes Foreign Secretary, Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) Chairman and other senior officials.
During this visit, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif will visit the cities of Xi’an, Shenzhen and Beijing. In Beijing, he will hold delegation-level talks with Prime Minister Li Keqiang and meet President Xi Jinping.
Additionally, meetings are scheduled with National People’s Congress Standing Committee Chairman Zhao Lijie and heads of key government departments.