Punjab unveils Rs1.97 trillion development-centric budget

Allocates Rs635 billions for development projects; earmarks 15.4 % of total budget for health

LAHORE: With Rs635 billion allocated for development projects, Punjab government on Friday unveiled Rs1.97 trillion development-centric provincial budget for fiscal year 2017-2018.

“It is a historic moment. It is the biggest budget ever presented for the province,” said Punjab Finance Minister Dr Ayesha Ghous-Pasha as she began her budget speech.

Pahsa said the government has allocated Rs635 billion for the annual development projects; Rs258 billion for salaries, Rs173billion for pension, Rs361 billion for local governments and Rs228.10 billion for service delivery expenditures.



The government has allocated Rs201.63 billion for social sector which includes education, health, water supply and sanitation, women development and social welfare.

Pasha said the provincial government expects Rs1, 502 billion from General Revenue Receipt and a share of Rs1,154.18 billion from the Federal Divisible Pool.

The provincial revenue has been estimated at Rs.348.30 billion, of which Rs.230.98 billion is expected from taxes while Rs117 billion is non-tax revenue. The current expenditures for the new fiscal year have been estimated at Rs1,021 billion.

Education

Rs345billion has been allocated for education which is approximately Rs33 billion higher than the current fiscal year. Of the total amount, Rs53.36 billion has been allocated for development programmes of school education.

Rs14 billion has been earmarked under Non Salary Budget (NSB) programme for the daily needs of schools and Rs6.50billion for ‘Zaiwar Taleem Programme’ under which girls are getting education.

Rs6.50 billion is set aside for ‘Khadim-e-Punjab School Programme’, under which rooms and other missing facilities will be constructed. Rs4 billion has been earmarked for the restoration of dilapidated school buildings.

Health

The government has allocated Rs263.22 billion for health sector which is 15.4 per cent of total budget. Previously, Rs66 billion had been allocated for Primary and Secondary Health Care but this time the provincial government has allocated Rs112 billion under this head.

Rs73.50 billion is set aside for district health authorities. For the modernisation of Tehsil Headquarters and District Headquarters hospitals, Rs20billion has been earmarked.



 

Rs120 billion has been allocated for department of specialised health care and medical education while for its development schemes, Rs25.26 billion has been set aside.

The government has earmarked Rs25 billion for the Punjab Clean Water Programme. It has allocated Rs5.70 billion for different projects for provision of clean drinking water.

Agriculture

The provincial government has allocated Rs140.50 billion for agriculture, irrigation, livestock, forestry, fisheries and food sectors. Rs15 billion has been earmarked for ‘Kisan package’. Six schemes will also be launched in upcoming fiscal year for farmers.

Rs17 billion has been allocated for Khadim Punjab Rural Roads Programme, Rs15billion for industrial sector and Rs198 billion for law and order.

Rs45 billion has been set aside for Rawalpindi, Gujranwala, Multan, Bahawalpur, Sargodha and Faisalabad under Safe City Authority. Rs90.64 billion has been earmarked for the road sector.

The government has allocated Rs94 billion for Lahore Orange Line Metro Train Project which will be funded through a soft loan provided by China’s Exim Bank.

Minimum wage

Following in footsteps of the federal government, the Punjab government has also proposed Rs15,000 as the minimum wage for labourers.

The government has merged Ad hoc Allowance 2010 in the basic pay of Punjab government officials and increased their salaries by 10 per cent. The same is also applied for pensioners.

The government has also announced constitution of pay commission to review salaries and allowances of government’s employees to submit recommendations for next fiscal year.

For beautification of worship places of minorities and their urban facilities and restoration of their graveyards, Rs1.16billion have been allocated. The government has also reduced sales tax rate on construction services from existing 16 per cent to 5 per cent.



Opposition’s protest

The opposition members started chanting anti-government slogans as Punjab Chief Minister Shehbaz Sharif entered the house. They also blew whistles to disturb the finance minister while she was delivering her speech. The opposition legislators continued whistling till the end of her speech

The opposition members also tore copies of budget document and gathered around the dais of speaker, Rana Muhammad Iqbal Khan, whose efforts to bring some order in the house remained unsuccessful.

The treasury benches also responded to the opposition’s slogans by thumping their desks. Later, talking to media, opposition leader Mian Mehmoodur Rashid condemned the budget and termed it ‘anti-people’.