Crucial NFC session finally kicks off after months of delay

Crucial NFC session finally kicks off after months of delay

After months of delay, the National Finance Commission (NFC) met on Thursday, marking a critical step toward initiating formal negotiations for a new revenue-sharing arrangement between the federation and provinces.

Federal Minister for Finance and Revenue Senator Muhammad Aurangzeb is chairing the session.

In his opening remarks, the finance minister thanked the chief ministers, provincial finance ministers, secretaries, and other members for attending the inaugural meeting.

“Today’s meeting is both a constitutional responsibility and an important opportunity for mutual cooperation,” he said.

He said that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharid personally took deep interest in ensuring that this meeting was held as soon as possible.

“The provinces also expressed strong intent to fulfill this constitutional responsibility in a timely manner,” Aurangzeb said.

Moreover, the minister said that the role of the NFC was of fundamental importance for equitable distribution of resources, financial stability, and sustainable economic development in the country.

“This forum gives us the opportunity to bring together the best minds in government and advance collective thinking and mutual learning,” he said.

It is pertinent to mention that the meeting was postponed multiple times — including the last scheduled sitting on November 10 due to members’ unavailability.

The maiden meeting, originally slated for August 28, was deferred at the request of the Sindh government owing to the province’s flood-related emergency. The NFC Secretariat subsequently rescheduled the session.

As per sources, the inaugural sitting is expected to approve the formation of technical sub-groups and endorse a structured negotiation roadmap for the coming months.

Earlier, the Government of Sindh reaffirmed its unwavering commitment to protect the constitutional rights and fiscal share of the province in the upcoming NFC deliberations.

“The NFC Award is not merely a mechanism of distributing financial resources — it is a constitutional guarantee of fairness, equity, and balanced development across all provinces,” said government of Sindh spokesperson Sukhdev Hemnani in a statement.

He added that Sindh’s position is grounded in both constitutional clarity and economic logic: strong provinces create a stronger federation. “Sindh will present its proposals clearly and firmly. Our focus is fiscal justice, provincial autonomy and transparent governance aligned with the constitutional vision.”

courtesy brecorder.com