The budget documents revealed that the ADP would be pitched at Rs 208 billion of which Rs 126b would be provided by the KP government and the remaining Rs 82 billion would added by the foreign donors whereas of the total Rs 606 billion outlay, Rs 396 billion would be allocated for current expenditure.
The provincial government in its annual budget for financial year 2017-18 is also likely to exempt services, money transfer, construction of bridges, gas supply, sanitation services, and registration of vehicles registered in other provinces from the imposition of General Sales Tax (GST). However, besides increase in tax ratio, new taxes on immoveable urban property, CNG plus general store, petrol pumps and service stations are being levied.
The provincial government would also take Rs 52 billion loan from Asian Development Bank for execution of Peshawar Metro Bus project in the province. Rs 30 billion from ADP is likely to be allocated for district governments and the salaries of the government employees are expected to rise from 10 to 15pc. The budget proposals contain increase in ADP by Rs 47 billion as the KP Government is expected to receive Rs 81.99 billion from the foreign donors.
The ADP would consist of 1,631 schemes comprising 1,182 ongoing and 449 new schemes. Likewise, Rs 20.32 billion allocated for 141 schemes for higher and secondary education department, Rs 12 billion for 101 health projects, Rs 5.16 billion for 84 schemes of public health engineering department, Rs 7.5 billion for 209 schemes irrigation projects, Rs 4.50 billion for 38 schemes of local government and Rs 3.99 billion for 38 schemes in agriculture sector. The Seht Insaf Card scheme would continue in next fiscal year as well and solarization of 4,000 mosques in the province also included in the budget proposals. The KP Govt would also provide Rs 30,000 monthly stipends to poets, writers and artists of the province.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2017