ISLAMABAD (Dunya News) – Pakistan's Senate has successfully concluded a comprehensive austerity programme, returning Rs1.436 billion to the national treasury and surpassing the Ministry of Finance's savings target by 500 percent.
According to the Senate Secretariat, the institution saved 15.9 percent of its total budget during the 2025-26 financial year under an extensive cost-cutting campaign aimed at promoting fiscal responsibility and efficient use of public resources.
The initiative was launched under the leadership of the Chairman Senate, who began the austerity measures within his own office. The Senate Finance Committee postponed 17 of its 18 planned development and procurement projects, resulting in savings worth millions of rupees.
Further reductions in recruitment, administrative and operational expenditures contributed significantly to the overall savings. Funds amounting to Rs60 million allocated for the purchase of official vehicles remained unspent, while no new government vehicles were acquired during the current fiscal year.
The Senate Finance Committee has also decided to forgo funds earmarked for vehicle replacement in the next financial year, a move expected to generate an additional Rs140 million in savings.
As part of the austerity programme, hospitality and refreshment expenses at official meetings were eliminated, committee proceedings are gradually being shifted to digital and virtual platforms, and non-essential foreign visits have been suspended to prioritise the protection of national resources.