K-P govt’s budget increase claims found incorrect

A comparison of figures shows either decrease or only a slight increase in allocations

PESHAWAR: The Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa government’s claim that there is an increase in allocations for priority sectors – including health, education, local governments, agriculture, and law and order – in the K-P’s budget for 2017-18 is contrary to facts.

A comparison of figures – carried out by The Express Tribune – of the ongoing year’s budget and the budget for financial year 2017-18 shows either decrease or only a slight increase in allocations particularly for health, education and district governments in the budget for 2017-18.

34.5% for ADP in Rs603 billion K-P budget

Education

According to the budget documents of 2016-17, Rs128b or 25.3% of the total provincial budget of Rs505b were allocated for education. While this allocation has been increased to Rs148b in the budget for 2017-18, it is 24.54% of the total budget outlay (of Rs603b) thus showing a 0.8% decrease.

However, the government while ignoring the total outlay has claimed that they have increased the education budget by 18% against the outgoing year’s allocations which appears factually incorrect.

Furthermore, the developmental budget has been slightly increased by 1%. In the outgoing budget, 14% of the total Rs125b Provincial Annual Development Program (ADP) was allocated for education while in financial year 2017-18, 15% of the ADP has been earmarked for education.

11% of budget allocated for health in K-P

Health

In the fiscal year 2017-18, the government has earmarked for the health sector the same amount which was allocated to it in the outgoing year when it comes to percentage allocations.

A total of Rs55b was allocated for the sector which was 10.8% of the total Rs505 budget outlay for 2016-2017 while Rs65.7 has been allocated for this financial year which is the same 10.8% of the total budget outlay of Rs603b.

Contrary to the actual calculation, the government has claimed that the health budget has been increased by over 19% against the outgoing year budget, ignoring the increase in the total budget outlay from Rs505b to Rs603b.

However, the developmental budget for health sector has been increased in 2017-18 budget by two per cent from Rs10.5b out of Rs125b APD to Rs12b out of Rs126b APD for the new year budget.

Budget 2017-18: K-P fails to allocate 30% for districts

Local governments

The K-P government has decreased the district development funds from Rs34.9b or 27% of the total Rs125b provincial ADP in 2016-2017 to Rs28b or 22.2% of total Rs126b provincial ADP.

The LG Act of the province requires the government to allocate no less than 30 per cent of its provincial ADP for the districts. However, this time around the government has allocated only 22.2 per cent by setting aside Rs28 billion for district ADPs.

However, the government in budget documents has claimed to have allocated 30% funds to district governments which is factually incorrect as Rs28b is not the 30% of the total Rs126b provincial ADP excluding Rs82b foreign assistance.

Law and order

No increase or decrease occurred in the budget allocations for law and order sector. In the budget for the year 2017-18, Rs39.7b has been allocated which is 6.5% of the total Rs603b while the same 6.5% (Rs32.9) was allocated for this sector out of Rs505b in the outgoing year budget.

Budget 2017-18: K-P fails to allocate 30% for districts

However, the government in the budget documents claimed the budget for the sector has been increased by 21% against the outgoing year’s allocations.

Agriculture

The budget allocated for agriculture sector has been increased very slightly by 0.003% from Rs5.1b or 0.010% out of Rs505b to Rs8b or 0.013% of the total Rs603b budget outlay.

Speaking to The Express Tribune, Malik Masood, Program Manager of the Centre for Governance and Accountability (CGPA) – a non-profit working for strengthening governance – said the government actually shows the public that side which shows them in favourable light.

The budget percentage is always taken against the total outlay of the budget for the fiscal year and the percentage coming out is compared with the percentage of last year’s allocations, he said.