AJK government unveils Rs62 billion tax-free budget

Opposition, MQM boycott session, saying govt did not consult them.

MUZAFFARABAD:

Azad Jammu and Kashmir Finance Minister Chaudhry Latif Akbar unveiled on Friday a tax-free budget of Rs62 billion in the legislative assembly for the year 2014-15. Members of the opposition and the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) boycotted the day’s session.

The government has earmarked Rs10.5 billion for the development sector while Rs51.5 billion has been set aside for non-development expenditures, showing an increase of Rs3 billion in this regard. The minister justified the increase, saying it would be spent on the 10 per cent raise in salaries of serving and retired government employees. Additionally, Rs10.5 billion has been earmarked for 21 government departments while Rs200 million is set aside for foreign aided projects.



The finance minister said the main chunk of the development budget - Rs 4,687 million - will be spent on communication and works. Some Rs 1,245 million is slated for the electricity department, Rs850 million for local government and rural development and Rs 825 million for the education department, which will also receive Rs50 million in foreign aid.

The agriculture sector will receive Rs237 million, civil defence Rs50 million, five development authorities - Muzaffarabad, Bagh, Mirpur, Kotli and Rawalakot - will get Rs150 million from the development budget.

Up to Rs320 million has been set aside for the health sector and Rs115 million for tourism. The Power Development Organisation that deals with hydel power generation has been given Rs685 million and the budget for sports is Rs155 million.



The Environment department will receive Rs28 million, Forestry and Fisheries Rs365 million, Industries and Minerals Rs195 million, Transport Rs48 million, Information and Media Development Rs10 million, Information Technology Rs125 million, Rehabilitation and Resettlement, Rs110 million,  Research and Development Rs130 million and Rs15 million has been allocated for Women’s Development.

Opposition parties and the MQM boycotted the budget session because the government had not consulted them in order to make the budget ‘poor-friendly’. “It is just a game of words as the government has rejected proposals to make their schemes part of the budget,” said Transport Minister and Parliamentary Party leader of MQM in AJK Assembly Tahir Khokar.

The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz’s Dr Najeeb Naqi said that the finance department failed to maintain the secrecy of the budget. He complained that during the last two budgets, the budget for the development sector has remained unchanged while more than Rs3billion have been allocated for non-development expenditures.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 21^st, 2014.