Deficit may exceed from Rs. 150 billion:
Balochistan’s budget for next
Fiscal Year to be presented
in BA session today
Sum of Rs. 5.8 billion likely to be allocated for Health Card Programme;
allocation of Rs. 2.7 billion proposed for provision of medicines in
govt hospitals; Rs. 2 & 1 billion proposed for Balochistan Education
Endowment Fund & Balochistan Awami Endowment Fund respectively
Independent Report
QUETTA: The next financial year’s budget of Balochistan for 2023-24 is scheduled to be presented today (Monday) in the special budget session convened by the Governor, Malik Abdul Wali Khan Kakar.
The Provincial Minister for Finance, Engineer Zamarak Khan Achakzai would present the budget for the next financial year for necessary preparations have already been made.
According to the sources, the Chief Minister Mir Abdul Quddus Bizenjo-led provincial coalition government has faced an uphill task to prepare the next financial year’s budget just because of the financial constraints.
The sources informed that the provincial government has not received the arrears under NFC Award from the federal government, nor it got the dues payable against the PPL, which actually runs in billions.
Still, the finance minister told the media persons couple of days back that it is our utmost effort to prepare a public-friendly budget.
However, it would be a deficit budget to be presented which may be in between Rs. 150-200 billion. He said that preference would be given to education, health, livestock and agriculture sector in the next budget.
Similarly, during a media briefing on Friday last, the spokesperson, Government of Balochistan, Ms. Farah Azeem Shah also told the media persons that the government would present a public-friendly budget for the next financial year despite the financial crunch.
However, according to the sources, the total volume of the province’s budget is likely to be Rs. 700 billion or around so. In the budget, the estimate of the income in next financial year budget has been made as Rs. 529.32 billion. With this, the total deficit of the budget may increase to around Rs. 150 billion, the sources informed.
It was also learnt that development expenditures in the budget are expected to be around Rs. 200 billion.
The estimate of income from the province’s own resources is expected as over Rs. 60 billion while the province is likely to get Rs. 413 billion through the divisible pool under NFC Award and other sources.
It is proposed to create over 5,000 new vacancies in the provincial government departments. Moreover, 30 percent raise is also expected in the salaries of provincial government employees in the next financial year budget, the sources informed.
In the budget, Rs. 90 billion has been proposed for education sector with Rs. 60 billion for law and order and Rs. 50 billion for the health sector, the sources revealed.
Similarly, sum of Rs. 5.8 billion is likely to be allocated for Health Card Programme. The allocation of Rs. 2.7 billion is proposed for provision of medicines in govt hospitals of the province while Rs. 2 & 1 billion have been proposed for Balochistan Education Endowment Fund & Balochistan Awami Endowment Fund respectively.
In addition to this, the allocation nof Rs. 1 billion has been proposed for the food security in the next financial year’s budget.
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