Divisible pool: 'Presidential Exception' helps Balochistan get full share: Langov

Balochistan government will get its full share from federal divisible pool despite a shortfall in federal government's revenues. This would happen because of personal interest taken by Prime Minister Muhammad Nawaz Sharif who assured a Presidential Exception for Balochistan. Balochistan will also enjoy this Presidential Exception next financial year 2016-17. This was said by Advisor to Chief Minister Balochistan on Finance, Mir Khalid Langov who accompanied by Finance Secretary, Mushtaq Ahmed Raisani was addressing at post-Budget briefing, here on Thursday.
With the personal interest of Prime Minister Muhammad Nawaz Sharif, Balochistan was given Presidential Exception under the National Finance Commission Award and therefore, no cut was made in share of Balochistan from divisible pool despite the fact that the target of federal revenues was not met," he said. No new tax was introduced in Balochistan Budget 2015-16," he said, adding that however, the government was going to form Balochistan Revenue Authority. He further said that Balochistan has only four percent income from its revenue and it has to depend on the federal government for its 96 percent remaining income.
He said that during new fiscal year 2015-16, there will be increase in income by 6.66 percent and in ongoing expenditures by 24.77 percent. "He said that subsidy was being given on 30,000 agricultural tube-wells and Rs 13.8-billion has been allocated in this regard," he said.
He said that Rs 04-billion were allocated for monthly daily allowances of personnel of Police and Levies Force adding that substantial funds were earmarked to meet demands made by All Pakistan Clerks Association (APCA) and Civil Secretariat Employees Association to provide incentives and facilities to government employees from Basic Pay Scale-01 to 15.Mr Langov said the provincial government will be spending 64.01 percent of its total income on payment of salaries and pensions of government employees, 6.04 percent on office expenditures, 2.19 percent on purchase of necessary items, 1.22 percent on repair and renovation of government buildings and 3.22 percent on payment of loans.
The 14.69 percent funds were allocated in the Budget 2015-16 for Local Government, Provincial Disaster Management Authority, Universities, educational institutions including cadet colleges and discretionary funds of the Chief Minister," he said. He said that total outlay of Balochistan Budget 2015-16 is Rs 243.48-billion including Rs 168.50-billion of ongoing expenditures, Rs 20.47-billion of investment expenditures and Rs 54.50-billion of development expenditures. He said that the income for fiscal year 2015-16 was estimated at including Rs 188.55-billion from ongoing income, Rs 28.97-billion from investment, Rs 03.39-billion from foreign assistance projects and Rs 07.84-billion from the province's own sources.
He said that the federal receipts would be Rs 180.71-billion while the size of Public Sector Development Program is Rs 54.50billion including Rs 03.39-billion of Foreign Assistance Projects. He said that the salaries and pension of the government employees were increased by seven and a half percent while the medical allowance would be increased following the federal government's budget in this regard. We will have to bear Rs 06-billion more expenditure on head of increase in salaries and pensions and medical allowance of government employees, he said. He added that 4835 new posts were created in different government departments in the Budget 2015-16.
Replying to a question, he said that the decision on future of Reko-Deq gold cum copper project would be taken after taking masses onboard. He said that National Testing Service system was adopted to ensure recruitment in government departments purely on merit basis.