Giving a break-up of the budget receipts and expenditures, the finance minister said that next financial year''s general revenue receipts are estimated at Rs 1502 billion as the provincial government would receive a total of Rs 1154.18 billion from the federal divisible pool under the National Finance Commission (NFC) Award.
Moreover, a total sum of Rs 348.30 billion will be generated from the province''s own revenues which include Rs 230.98 billion under the head of tax revenue and Rs 117 billion in the category of non-tax revenue. The minister said Rs 636 billion were allocated for the annual development programme and hoped this huge allocation for ADP would result in the creation of new employment opportunities.
She said running expenditures for 2017-18 are estimated at Rs 1021 billion, out of which Rs 258 billion are for salaries, Rs 173 billion for pension, Rs 361 billion for local governments and Rs 228.10 billion have been reserved for service delivery expenditures.
Dr Pasha said the Punjab government has fixed minimum wage of labourer at Rs 15,000 while daily wagers under the Punjab government would also get Rs 15,000. She announced a 10 percent raise in salaries of government employees after merging adhoc allowance of 2010. The pensioners would also get 10 percent raise. For a review in salaries and allowances of government employees, she announced formation of a pay commission which will submit its recommendations to the government.
She announced a cut in GST on construction services from 16 to 5 percent which will help grow construction industry. The fee has been abolished for registration of any firm. The Punjab government, she said, has planned to issue Rs 25 billion investment bond with a view to promoting savings as well as investment.
During the next financial year, she added, the social sector is top priority of the government and Rs 201.63 billion have been allocated for education, health, water supply and sanitation, women development and social welfare. She said the government has proposed allocation of Rs 345 billion for education sector which is 32 percent higher from current year''s budgetary allocations. In the development programme of school education, Rs 53.36 billion have been allocated.
In the next financial year, Rs 230 billion have been set aside for district education authorities which are functional since January his year. Under non-salary budget programme for schools, Rs 14 billion have been allocated while Rs 6.50 billion have been reserved for "Zewar Taleem Programme" and Rs 3.50 billion have been allocated for provision of free text books in public sector schools. With an allocation of Rs 28 billion under strengthening of schools programme, missing facilities will be ensured in the next fiscal. Under Khadim-e-Punjab School Programme, 6519 additional rooms would be constructed in 3421 schools with an allocation of Rs 13 billion.
An amount of Rs 5 billion has been allocated for net fiscal for disbursement among students under the Punjab Educational Endowment Fund (PEEF). For higher education, Rs 44.60 billion have been allocated with an addition of over 18 billion for development programme. With allocation of Rs 7 billion under the Chief Minister''s Lap Top Scheme, 100,000 more students would get lap tops in next fiscal on merit. Dr Pasha said Rs 263.22 billion have been allocated for health sector which is 15.4-percent of total budget. For primary and secondary healthcare, Rs 112 billion have been set aside while for district health authorities Rs 73.50 billion have been allocated in the next fiscal. For modernisation of DHQ/ THQ hospitals, Rs 20 billion have been allocated.
For specialised healthcare and medical education department, Rs 120 billion have been allocated with further allocation of Rs 25.26 billion for development schemes. For provision of medicines, Rs 16 billion have been allocated, Rs 4 billion for setting up a modern hospital in Murree, Rs 3.50 billion for provision of medicines to hepatitis patients, Rs 400 million for provision of ventilators in hospital. In the next fiscal year, two new medical colleges in Bhakkar and Attock would be established. At least Rs 700 million have been set aside for provision of free dialysis facilities. The first phase of Pakistan Kidney and Liver Institute and Research Centre would be completed in December this year with a cost of Rs 19 billion. For health insurance scheme, Rs 2 billion have been allocated.
The minister said Rs 140.50 billion have been allocated for agriculture sector for the next fiscal. For the Kissan Package, Rs 15 billion have been allocated while the Punjab government would pay over Rs 6 billion for agri tube wells besides maintaining prices of fertiliser. For development schemes of this sector, Rs 41 billion have been allocated in the next fiscal. For FY 2017-18, another Rs 17 billion have been proposed to be allocated for further improving connectivity of rural areas. In the livestock sector, an amount of Rs 19.4 billion is proposed to be allocated.
To address the energy crisis, the minister said the government has not only initiated energy projects from its own sources but has also been focusing on providing an enabling environment to attract private sector investment in energy sector. The efforts of the government have started to bear fruit as 1,180 MW Bhikki LNG power plant and 1,320 MW Sahiwal/Qadirabad coal power plant have already started their production. Other major energy projects in Punjab include 1,223 MW Baloki LNG power plant in Kasur, and 1,230 MW Haveli Bahadur Shah LNG power plant at Jhang will add approximately 9,000 MW electricity to the national grid by March 2018.
Rs 15 billion have been allocated for uplift of industrial sector under the development programme. The Punjab government is going to start credit guarantee scheme through PSCIC to meet financing requirements of SMEs. For this purpose, Rs 3 billion have been allocated to provide finance to about 7,000 SMEs. For chief minister''s self employment scheme, Rs 2 billion have been allocated fiscal. An amount of Rs 198 billion has been allocated for maintenance of law and order in the province in the next fiscal. For road sector, Rs 90.64 billion have been allocated while for sports and youth affairs Rs 8.50 billion have been set aside.
Dr Pasha said the government has decided to launch regional development programme for development of less developed areas for which Rs 5 billion have been allocated in the budget. For protection of minorities, Rs 1.16 billion have been allocated in the next fiscal. The minister said with the start of first power projects of CPEC, Sahiwal/Qadirabad coal-fired power plant has starting contributing electricity to the national grid.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2017