District governments to formulate their own budgets

District governments will formulate their own budgets and development plans with the community's co-operation from the coming fiscal 2005. Sources told Business Recorder, for this purpose the National Commission for Human Development (NCHD) will provide training to district officers by June 30, 2005, under a US funded $3 million project 'capacity building of districts, tehsils and town officers for citizen community boards (CCBs)'.
Under the project, CCBs have been set up in 10 districts. About 200 district officers and 110 tehsil municipal administration officers have been trained. They will assist in formulation of budgets.
Besides, 400 planning and district officers have been trained for planning budget. In four districts, 107 officials have been trained for 'district monitoring programme'.
Sources said the NCHD has spent $1 million on CCBs. The project will complete in June.
After the completion of the project, district governments will be empowered to make their on budgets. Earlier, budgets of districts governments were prepared by provincial governments.