Relief for govt employees, low-income groups likely

Govt to earmark Rs12b for drinking water, Rs78b for roads

LAHORE:

Punjab government has reportedly decided to maintain its tradition to follow Islamabad in compensating its officials by increasing government employees’ salary by 15 per cent and pension by 5%.

The provincial government has yet to appoint its finance minister, but sources said Mian Mujtaba Shujaur Rehman, who had served as finance minister earlier, was likely to present the budget in Punjab Assembly.

Information made available to The Express Tribune indicates that following the suit of the federal government, Punjab will announce a growth-oriented budget with focus on infrastructure development, South Punjab and a relief package for low-income strata of the society.

The data shows that a sum of over Rs680 billion has been allocated for the Annual Development Programme (ADP), out of which 35% will be earmarked for South Punjab.

The government has decided to earmark around Rs12 billion for provision of clean drinking water in all 36 districts of Punjab, while Rs78 billion has been allocated for construction and rehabilitation of roads.

The proposed budget also has provisions of over Rs30 billion for construction and maintenance of government buildings besides a block allocation of Rs110 billion for the chief minister’s special projects. The government has also allocated around Rs44 billion for public-private partnership projects.

A sum of around Rs20 billion has been allocated for local governments, around Rs2.5 billion for population welfare and Rs5 billion for energy projects. A sum of Rs21 billion has been allocated for urban development, around Rs15 billion for agriculture and Rs5 billion for climate change schemes.

An official of the provincial finance department said that considering the current economic situation in the country, the government has decided not to impose any new tax.

As neither the ruling alliance nor the opposition have clear majority in the house after de-seating of 25 PTI lawmakers, it is unlikely that the ruling alliance would manage a smooth passage of the budget while Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi is in the Speaker’s chair.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 12^th, 2022.