At taxpayers’ expense: PM empties Rs22b fund, asks for Rs10b more
In an unprecedented spending spree, Prime Minister Raja Pervaiz Ashraf has finished his annual discretionary development budget of Rs22 billion in just three and a half months.
He has also received another Rs10 billion to spend in constituencies of his choice ahead of the general elections – a move likely to spark controversy with the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N). The opposition party has already revealed intentions to take up the matter with the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP).
Sources in the cabinet secretariat told The Express Tribune that the Rs22 billion development budget, allocated under the Peoples Works Programme (PWP)-II, has been fully sanctioned from July 1 to October 15. They added that the finance ministry has increased PWP-II to Rs32 billion under the premier’s directives. The fresh money, however, has not yet been allocated, the sources further revealed.
The Ministry of Finance has confirmed that the entire sum of Rs22 billion has been transferred to the assignment account. The money will be released from the account as work progresses on schemes authorised by Prime Minister Ashraf in constituencies of his choice.
PWP-II, previously known as Khushal Pakistan Programme, is part of the overall public sector development programme (PSDP) but its funds are dispensed at the premier’s discretion. PSDP’s size for the current fiscal year is Rs360 billion, which includes Rs22 billion for PWP-II and Rs5 billion for PWP-I – another special fund utilised under parliamentarians’ schemes.
The finance ministry initially issued orders for a Rs10 billion grant for PWP-II, according to a senior ministry official. This meant increasing PSDP to Rs370 billion immediately and consequently widening the budget deficit. The decision was reversed as such and the Planning Commission (PC) has now been asked to adjust the additional funds by slashing the budgets of other normal PSDP schemes.
This is bound to delay many projects and result in cost overruns. All PSDP-funded projects are already underfinanced and behind their completion schedules, a PC official told The Express Tribune.
PC Secretary Javed Malik said the commission was currently figuring out if it can spare additional funds but nothing had been decided as yet.
The Express Tribune tried approaching CD Additional Secretary Ahmad Farooq but he was unavailable. Efforts to contact PM Secretariat Additional Secretary Seerut Asghar were unsuccessful as well.
Meanwhile, PML-N Deputy Information Secretary Engineer Khurram Dastgir said his party will take up this “naked use of taxpayers’ money for political partronage” with ECP. Condemning the unprecedented spending of public funds, he demanded that the government share details of PWP-II funded projects with taxpayers.
PM Ashraf has also taken another Rs6 billion out of the PSDP for projects in Gujjar Khan, his constituency.
Published in The Express Tribune, November 2nd, 2012.
COMMENTS (19)
Comments are moderated and generally will be posted if they are on-topic and not abusive.
For more information, please see our Comments FAQ
mushraf spend 125 billion on just petrol subsidy to win votes but he got no votes
How can this idiot be allowed to handle this large sum of money when this human feceses doesn't even know a single thing about economy??? How is he even allowed?
@shahbaz Rana: Money was allocated for 365 days not for 105 days.
What kind of argument is this? If people can be given relief immediately, why wait for the entire year? What you are suggesting is that if you build a school, lay a brick everyday so that you can spread it over the entire year.
@ Jibran, How much(in %) will be spent on peoples' welfare and how much will be spent on PPPP's people?
The million dollar question is : Has the money been spent on the people ??? The answer known to all is : No, No and a resounding No.
@Democracy It is sooner or later going to swiss account. Abandon all hope of progress
Pre poll rigging at it's best.The Chief Election Commissioner should take notice of this and seek information about who were the recipients and in which constituencies this amount was spent. I am ashamed of this....
To Pakistans Nation; Cant you guys stop voting these people...they are making themselves rich by just giving you bone...Stop it now
Its not for the people, its for the influential people of his constituency to win the election.
@ Sharma, Money was allocated for 365 days not for 105 days.
Please conduct elections every year :)
I dont mind if he builds infrastructure in some of the places as long as people benefit from it.
Better than dumping it in swiss accounts
When money is spent on Pakistani civilians it is a big news in Pakistan!
The money spent was allocated in the budget for spending. If not spent the purpose is foiled . Why a cry.? Rather Public can peruse and verify if the money is utilized properly for the welfare of the people for which it was meant. The news is presented in a manner as if PM has committed a crime by utilizing it fast. If a foul play is smelt, better be it exposed rather sensationalizing the news.
So what's new, this happens every election cycle, because Pakistanis have short memories and will keep voting these people in, no matter how much they rape and abuse the country.
What's new however, is that E.T. is actually doing some investigative journalism and exposing government's treachourous electioneering techniques. How long will this last till the iron hand of the govt. falls on E.T.? Anybody's guess.
Very good. People's money has to be spent on the people. Better than the inflated salaries of generals, judges, and bureaucrats!
PPP Political Strategy, buy the vote in Punjab, Sindh, Baluchistan, and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.