QUETTA - The PPP-led Balochistan coalition government presented its fifth and last tax free and balanced budget to the tune of Rs. 179.931 billion, including the development outlay of Rs. 35.819 billion and Rs 2.612 billion of foreign assistance, in provincial assembly session.
Balochistan Finance Minister Mir Asim Kurd Gaillu presented the budget in the assembly with the Speaker Muhammad Aslam Bhootani in the chair.
The total receipts for the next year budget have been estimated Rs 179.931 billion, including Rs 149.144 billion of revenue and Rs 30.787 of capital.
The total revenue receipts are Rs 149.144, including Rs 114.206 billion from divisible pool, Rs 12.785 billion from straight transfer and Rs 4.075 billion from Services on General Sales Tax. Balochistan will receive Rs 12 billion during the next fiscal year under the head of arrears of gas revenues.
The arrears include Rs 2 billion on well head price on gas and Rs 10 billion on Gas Development Sur Charge (GDS). However, the province’s own resources (receipts) have been estimated as Rs 5.207 billion as compare to current year’s Rs 4.851 billion.
The capital receipts have been estimated as Rs 30.787 billion. However, Balochistan will receive Rs. 2.612 billion for development under the head of foreign assistance, including Japanese grant of 0.006 billion.
The total revenue expenditure for the next fiscal year was estimated as Rs 107.280 billion and Rs 36.832 billion as capital expenditure. The highest allocation of revenue expenditure of Rs 22.471 billion has been made for education and services, while the economic affairs will get Rs 22.930 billion in the next fiscal year budget.
Rs 21.606 billion was earmarked for General Public Service while Rs 13.530 for Public Order Safety Affairs. The province allocated Rs 9.851 billion for health and services, Rs. 3.341 for recreation, culture and religion affairs, Rs 8.750 billion for housing and community amenities, Rs 1.162 billion for social protection and Rs 3.341 billion for debt servicing (interest).
The government has earmarked Rs 36.832 billion in the next financial year’s budget for capital expenditure, including Rs 17.408 billion for public debt (to be discharged), Rs 6.675 for state trading and Rs 3.808 billion for repayment of central loans (principal). The capital expenditure will also include Rs 8.500 billion for investment in Reko Diq Copper-Gold Project and Rs 3.500 billion in energy sector.
The Balochistan government has also allocated Rs 35.819 billion as compare to Rs 31.368 billion in the current year for Provincial Social Sector Programme (PSDP) which comprise Rs 33.198 billion as PSDP and Rs 2.612 billion as foreign assistance loan.
In the budget 2012-13, 20 per cent increase in salaries of government employees and in the pension has been made, while 6,530 new vacancies have also been created.
In his budget speech, Gaillu briefly spoke at length about his government budgetary measures during 2010-11. He said 6,530 new vacancies in different government departments had been created in the new budget adding that the federal government also promised provision of funds for providing jobs to 15000 youths of Balochistan.
“The government has also allocated funds for providing internship to more 15,000 youths in Balochistan in government departments,” he added. He said the minimum monthly wages had been increased from Rs 7,000 to Rs 9,000.
Gaillu said Rs 13.53 billion had been allocated for maintenance of law and order and the related departments, while Rs 9 billion had been budget for the health sector and Rs 22.47 billion for education Sector.
Rs 2 billion had been earmarked for development projects in the education sector while 150 new schools would be built in next year.
He revealed that funds had been allocated for implementation of solar home system which would cost Rs 888 million.
“Rs 800 million financial aid provided by the Government of Japan would be spent for making Pasni Fish Harbour operational,” he said. The finance minister Rs 8.50 billion has been allocated for the Reko Diq project as the provincial government had decided to set up investment board in order to introduce Reko Diq and Saindak copper and gold projects in the market in order to get financial benefits from them.
“The Balochistan government has allocated Rs 3 billion for subsidy on agricultural tube-wells in the province while the federal government would also release Rs 4 billion in this regard. He said that Rs 5.20 billion has been earmarked for THE agriculture sector,” the minister said, adding that farmers would be given special financial aid package.
Gaillu said Balochistan would collect income of Rs 05 billion from its own resources, adding that the province would get other receipts from the National Finance Commission (NFC) Award, Gas Surcharge and others. He said revenue estimates of the province were Rs 107 billion and capital receipts is Rs 36 billion. He noted that PSDP included 720 on-going and 732 new schemes.
He said Rs 12 billion has been earmarked for communication sector and construction of roads and others. He said the budget included Rs 2.61 billion of foreign aid. The minister also said that an amount of Rs 3.84 billion had been allocated for construction of dams and repairing of canals.
He said the coalition government was making efforts to initiate dialogue with all the annoyed parties and also removed many checkposts of Frontier Corps besides withdrawal of cases against dissident leaders.
He said the government had also taken up the issue of missing persons with the federal government. “More than 150 missing persons have been recovered and efforts are underway for the recovery of rest of missing persons,” he added.
Balochistan unveils Rs179.93b balanced budget.
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