Budget 2015-16: Budget will exceed Rs470 billion

Muzaffar Said adds no new taxes levied; higher sums doled out for education, health and local govt

PESHAWAR: As the federal budget comes knocking, the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa finance department has chalked out the provincial budget for the fiscal year 2015-16.

Talking to The Express Tribune, Minister for Finance Muzaffar Said said the total will exceed Rs472 billion. Last year’s budget was Rs404 billion. The proposed draft mentions an increase in the Annual Development Programme and allocations to sectors like health, education and local government. “The total will include Rs118 billion for ADP, excluding foreign aid,” he added. The minister assured government is weighing up no additional taxes or increases in the existing ones.

Losing aid

The final draft will be presented in the provincial legislature on June 13. Department officials speculated the government might see cuts in foreign aid this year. “It is hard to deduce why at the moment but it is highly likely the sum will drop,” said a senior official. He said the target is set at Rs25 billion. Last year, the ADP amounted to Rs139 billion, with Rs39 billion through aid.

Said, however, refuted the notion and said the government is hopeful of receiving even more than Rs39 billion. “ADP allocation for LG has been augmented by 60%, health by 25%, elementary and secondary education by 23% and higher education by 20%,” added Muzaffar Said who belongs to the Jamaat-e-Islami.

Under-spending

As the government plans capital injections for the aforementioned sectors, it has so far failed to fully utilise their 2014-15 development budgets.

According to statistics provided by the planning and development department officials, the elementary and secondary and health departments had managed to only use 32% of their ADP funds by April. “Health and education are our priorities. We will press these departments to not only spend previously allocated sums but also work towards new schemes,” said the minister, adding unutilised funds will be carried forward in the new fiscal year.

Answering a question about the increase in salaries and pensions of government officials, Said shared the provincial government is awaiting the federal budget. “We will increase salaries and announce promotions in accordance with available resources,” he added.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 2^nd, 2015.