Setting the tone: Over Rs100b allocated for 1,251 development schemes

An additional Rs39.77b has been patched together from foreign grants, loans.


Manzoor Ali June 14, 2014
The Asian Development Bank has given Rs3.111 billion in a loan and Rs700 million in grants; USAID Rs2.961 billion in grants and the European Union Rs2.280billion in grants. PHOTO: EXPRESS/ FILE

PESHAWAR:


The Annual Development Programme (ADP) for the year 2014-15 envisages a total outlay of Rs 139.805 billion, including foreign assistance worth Rs39.77 billion and district ADP of Rs1.672 billion.


In the current fiscal year, the ADP had been set at Rs118 billion with foreign contributions amounting to Rs35 billion.

However, revised estimates have placed the province’s contributions at Rs80.152 billion and foreign assistance at Rs21.06 billion – both a markdown from the original budget estimates. In fact, out of 32 sectors under the ADP, at least 22 had a revised budget which was less than the budget estimate.



Minister for Finance Sirajul Haq told lawmakers during his budget speech on Saturday the province’s own share in the development component stands at Rs100.05 billion; a 20.54% increase from last year’s ADP.

This year’s ADP comprises 1,251 projects of which about 711 were continuation of existing projects and 540 were new schemes, shared the minister. Siraj said the government has made allocations for current projects so throw forward liability can be reduced and the public can get maximum benefits from development funds.


Grants for local councils in millions

Sector-wise allocation shows the largest share falls to regional development at Rs 12.258 billion – the single largest component of development programme, stated the White Paper 2014-2015, available with The Express Tribune.

Keeping foreign projects assistance (FPA) to a side, this is how the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa government has distributed the ADP:

Infrastructure and communication

Rs9.590 billion or over 9% of the ADP has been allocated for roads, Rs7.467 billion or 7% for urban development and Rs200 million for transport. The latter has two new schemes added to an existing eight which had Rs133 million allocated to them.

Rs5.851 billion or less than 6% of the ADP has been reserved for drinking water and sanitation while Rs4.737 billion or 4.7% has been allocated for other water supply-related development work.

OTHER INDICATORS



Social development

For health, the ADP has set aside Rs8.280 billion or roughly 8%. This allocation includes 67 ongoing projects and 27 new ones, according to the White Paper.

Education has been divided under two different heads – Elementary and Secondary Education (ESE) and Higher Education (HE). According to 2014-15’s ADP, ESE gets Rs8.132 billion and HE Rs6.180 billion.

Both ESE and HE comprise of 112 projects, including 44 new ones.

Pro-poor initiatives have received Rs7.900 billion, roughly 8%, of the total ADP, sans foreign assistance. Rs330 million has been allocated for population welfare and Rs2.053 billlion under the head of relief and rehabilitation.

Minority affairs, which come bundled with Auqaf and Hajj, have in all received an allocation of Rs149 million.



The economy machinery

Agriculture has received Rs1.587 billion while industries have been allocated Rs3.471 billion in the development programme. This includes agriculture, fisheries and livestock.

Under the head of finance, Rs4.094 billion has been set aside. The document has outlined a few major targets for this sector which includes building Muhafiz Khanas in Peshawar, Mansehra and Mardan, and the establishment of a retirement benefits and death compensation cell.

Rs3.046 billion or nearly 3% has been allocated for energy and power. This will cover at least 36 projects with the overarching aim of making the province self-sufficient.

Foreign assistance

According to the budget document, the size of the FPA for 2014-15 is about Rs39.775 billion, which will be utilized on 75 projects. Rs8.269 billion of this foreign assistance is a loan while the rest are categorised as grants.

The largest chunk of FPA goes to the ESE at Rs11.794 billion while the smallest goes to drinking water and sanitation – Rs0.1 million.

In terms of contributors, the Department for International Development (DFID) and European Union (EU) (SBSE) have been shown as largest, giving Rs11.527 billion in grants. This is followed by the Multi Donor Trust Fund which has given Rs5.940 billion in grants and the Japan International Cooperation Agency which has given Rs218 million in grants and Rs5.158 billion as a loan.

The Asian Development Bank has given Rs3.111 billion in a loan and Rs700 million in grants; USAID Rs2.961 billion in grants and the European Union Rs2.280billion in grants.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 15th, 2014.

COMMENTS (1)

Safwan | 9 years ago | Reply

26 billion for education, 3 billion less than last year? Tribune were did you get these figures? Dawn reported, 111 billion for the education sector, which means 27% of the budget.

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