ISLAMABAD: The Senate of Pakistan has returned Rs1.436 billion to the national exchequer as a result of fiscal discipline and austerity policies, which is being termeda significant development in parliamentary history. According to the Senate Secretariat, this amount constitutes about 15.9 per centper cent of the total budget for the financial year 2025-26.
A special programme was launched a year ago on the directions of Senate Chairman Syed Yousaf Raza Gilani for cost reduction and effective use of resources. Initially, these measures were limited to the chairman’s office, but later they were extended to the entire Senate secretariat.
According to an official statement, the savings achieved are not estimated but real and practical in nature. For this purpose, 17 out of 18 development and procurement projects approved by the Finance Committee were suspended, while recruitment and unnecessary expenses were reviewed. Administrative expenses and daily operational costs were also kept under strict surveillance.
Under the austerity drive, the use of government vehicles was significantly reduced, fuel quotas were limited and a monitoring system was introduced. The tradition of providing refreshments in meetings was abolished, while committee meetings were shifted to digital and virtual platforms to reduce travel and administrative costs.
The Senate Secretariat also clarified that Rs 60 million allocated for the purchase of new vehicles in the current fiscal year was not used, and not a single new vehicle was purchased. Moreover, it has been decided to withdraw funds allocated for the replacement of old and unusable government vehicles in the next fiscal year, which is expected to save another Rs 140 million.
Chairman Senate Syed Yousaf Raza Gilani said that public offices are a trust, and ensuring responsibility and accountability in the use of government resources is the primary responsibility of state institutions. According to him, every rupee saved is actually capital saved for the people.
The Senate says that the purpose of bringing these statistics to the public is to promote transparency, accountability and trust in state institutions. According to officials, these results have been possible due to continuous reforms, effective financial management and institutional accountability.
On the other hand, the National Assembly Secretariat has also claimed to have saved Rs 4.5 billion in the current fiscal year through austerity, right-sizing and institutional reforms, which is 27.3 per cent of its total budget. According to observers, the expenditure reduction measures by both houses of parliament could prove to be a positive example for government fiscal discipline.
