Punjab government saves Rs 2.8 billion by cutting non-development expenditure

Provincial Minister for Finance, Planning and Development Tanvir Ashraf Kaira said the government had accelerated the pace of development projects, while directions had been issued for timely completion of all the projects.
While talking to a delegation of MPAs at his office on Monday, the minister said that extensive monitoring was also being carried out, adding, "90 percent development budget would be utilised by the government by the end of current fiscal year".
Kaira said a "special committee" had been constituted under his chairmanship, which saved "billions of rupees" by reducing non-development expenditures. "For the first time in the history of Punjab we have saved Rs 2.80 billion by curtailing our non-development operational budget". He said that overdraft of Punjab government was within the prescribed limit of State Bank and Punjab government was financially stable.
He said that efforts were being made by the government for completion of targets of budget targets. However, Kaira stressed that it was the need of the hour to enhance resource base of the provinces, adding, "for this purpose we should focus on enhancing the tax net and make the ratio of taxes as market-based".