The pre-budget seminar held at University of Balochistan in presence of officials of Finance department was an appreciable effort requiring measure for awareness of students about the upcoming annual Balochistan Budget. But the most of presentations went uneconomic and irrelevant. Most of the officials started to talk about the China Pakistan Economic Corridor rather than putting a light on the upcoming budget of 2017-18.

It has become a trend in Balochistan that every single thing is get connected to CPEC, no matter it is incident of terrorism, abduction of foreigner or a budget seminar. The officials of Provincial Government are always seen speaking similar things in different situations. That day is not far when the issues of tribal conflicts and domestic violence will also be linked with the CPEC.

If any Government Department is spending tens of thousands from the public money over a single seminar and it has no benefits and outcomes than it is total waste to that public money. The government never spends in student’s interest but they organize what benefit them.

Undoubtedly the youth of Balochistan is much forward from the leadership and is aware about the ground realties. Such seminars take place just for formality where very few students are allowed to question in a really short time. The officials are servants of people and are answerable to the youth, instead such formality completing seminars they should do direct sessions of questions and answers in the educational institutions. But this thing might never happen here because government is aware about the potential of the youth and they know that they will not be able to answer such competent questions. Secretary of Finance department could not make it to the event due to busy routine but other officials of the department addressed to the gathering. But nobody put light over the anti-corruption mechanism and none of them justified the destroyed reputation of the finance department after Mushtaq Raisani case.

Indeed the management sciences faculty of UOB contributed in awareness of youth about upcoming budget but there were several things as mentioned above which were required essentially.

The purpose was to serve the University students by passing on valuable information to the participants of the pre-budget seminar. But the purpose was not achieved as no information or background material was provided during the speeches of the Finance Department officials. In simple words, it all gone waste and can be treated to hoodwink the participants by delivering customary speeches. Balochistan has vast scope for future economic development in four main sectors of Mines and Minerals, Agriculture, livestock and fisheries. Now Chinese are trying to make significant investment in these most important sectors of the Provincial economy which the Government had deliberately ignored for the past 70 long years. Chinese are coming in a very big way to make investment in Balochistan exploiting its riches on the pattern of Saindak Copper and Gold Project which provided zero benefit to the people of Balochistan. A Chinese company is exploiting the mineral riches, including gold and copper, at Saindak for the past 16 years. Before the Chinese come and exploit the riches of Balochistan for the benefit of the Chinese companies, the Provincial Government should stop wasting public money on the worthless Public Sector Development Programme which left zero impact on the Provincial economy for the past 40 years or since Balochistan was given the Provincial status. Budget seminars should discuss the impact the Balochistan Budget had left on the provincial economy and the Government should justify the spending of the past four or five decades. Thus there is a need to review the scheme of things in allocating funds on economic projects instead of granting money for personal spending or personal use of powerful Ministers and MPAs.