However, the foreign aid funds have not yet been released for all development projects under PSDP 2017-18 against the total Rs 162.4 billion budgeted allocation.
The government has not released funds for development projects of various ministries, divisions and their departments including Cabinet Division, Defence Division, Defence Production Division, Establishment Division, Federal Education and Professional Training Division, Housing and Works Division, Foreign Affairs Division, Industries and Production Division, Information & Broadcasting Division, Inter Provincial Co-ordination Division, Law and Justice Division, National Security Division, National History & Literary Heritage Division, Textile and Industry Division, and Statistics Division.
The government also has not released funds for development projects of Ministry of Water and Power (Power Sector). The government has not released funds for development projects of special federal development programme, energy for all, special provision for completion of CPEC projects, clean drinking water for all and gas infrastructure development cess.
The government has released Rs 34.8 billion for infrastructure projects of National Highways Authority (NHA) against the budgeted allocation of Rs 325.7 billion. The government has released Rs 8.63 billion for development projects of Pakistan Railway Division against total budgeted allocation of Rs 42.9 billion for current fiscal year 2017-18.
The Planning Commission released Rs 393 million for different projects of Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission against the total budgeted allocation of Rs 15.9 billion for fiscal year 2017-18. The government has released Rs 7.35 billion for Water and Power Division (water sector) for construction and development of water reservoirs for water conservation, irrigation and power generations against the total allocation of Rs 36.75 billion.
A total of Rs 6.13 billion has been released for different projects of Higher Education Commission (HEC) against the total budgeted allocations of Rs 35.7 billion.
The government released Rs 929.76 million to Capital Administration and Development Division, Rs 163 million to Climate Change Division, Rs 120 million to Commerce Division, Rs 2.6 billion for Communication Division (Other than NHA), Rs 1.3 billion to Interior Division, Rs 46 million to Pakistan Nuclear Regulatory Authority and Rs 223.78 million to Planning, Development and Reform.
Under PSDP 2017-18, an amount of Rs 609.4 million was released for different development projects of National Health Services, Regulation and Co-ordination Division against the total budgeted allocation of Rs 48.7 billion. The government released Rs 322.76 million for different developmental projects of National Food Security and Research Division against the earmarked Rs 1.6 billion for the development of agriculture sector in the country.
The government has released Rs 14.6 billion for Special Federal Development Programme for Temporarily Displaced Persons (TDPs) against Rs 90 billion budgeted allocation and Rs 3.2 billion for development projects of Prime Minister's Youth and Hunarmand Programme under current fiscal year 2017-18. The entire amount of Rs 30 billion has been released for Prime Minister's Global SDGs Achievement Programme.
The government released Rs 300.2 million to Finance Division, Rs 623.14 million to Aviation Division, Rs 389.2 million to Port and Shipping Division and Rs 214.69 million to Science and Technological Research Division.
The government released Rs 4.04 billion for development projects of Azad Jammu and Kashmir against the total budgeted allocation of Rs 25.84 billion for current fiscal year. The government also released Rs 5.58 billion for development projects of Gilgit-Baltistan against Rs 18.3 billion budgeted allocation, while Rs 5.15 billion have been released for the projects of Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) against the total budgeted allocation of Rs 26.9 billion.
The Planning Commission of Pakistan has so far followed the stipulated mechanism for releasing the funds; first quarter (July-September) 20 percent, second quarter (October-December) 20 percent, third quarter (January-March) 30 percent and fourth quarter (April-June) 30 percent.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2017