PESHAWAR: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government has made historic allocation of Rs 319.2 billion under the Annual Development Programme (ADP) for fiscal year 2022-23.
Of the total outlay of the budget, Rs 1,108 billion has been allocated for settlement districts while Rs 223 billion has been allocated for merged tribal districts.
According to the budget documents, the total current budget of the province has been set at Rs 913 billion, of which Rs 789 billion has been allocated for settlement districts and Rs 124 billion for integrated districts.
The total development budget of the province covered Rs 418 billion of which 319 are allocated for settlement districts and 99 for integrated districts.
KP Minister for Finance Taimoor Khan Jhagra on Monday presented a Rs 1.332 trillion budget for the fiscal year 2022-23, including 1,109.1 billion in the settled districts and Rs 222.9 billion in the newly merged district (NMDs) during a special budget session that chaired by Deputy Speaker Mahmood Jan here on Monday.
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This year’s total estimated receipts are around Rs 1,333 billion. Federal Transfers including federal tax assignments, 1 percent war on terror, and straight transfers are budgeted at a total Rs 670.5 billion, the budget document said.
Jhagra said that the total outlay of the budget stands at Rs 1332 billion. “Despite hurdles, we have earmarked Rs 319.2 billion for the development portfolio of which only Rs 8 billion will be received under the PSDP.
According to budget documents, the total revenue for the province is estimated at Rs 1332 billion. A sum of Rs 570 billion would be received from the federation in terms of taxes, while the province is expecting to receive Rs 68.60 billion in the war on terror, it added.
Jhagra said that Rs 447.9 billion would be spent on salaries including Rs 372.1 billion in settled districts and Rs 75.8 billion through merged tribal districts while Rs 107 billion on pension including Rs106 billion in settled districts and Rs one billion in merged tribal districts.
Besides salaries, he said Rs 247.4 billion would be spent on O&M, emergency and district expenditures, Rs 111.4 billion on other current expenditures while volume of provincial development program including accelerated development programme budget was Rs 241 billion including Rs185 billion for settled districts and Rs 56 billion for merged tribal districts while volume of total development budget was Rs 383.5 billion including Rs 319.2 billion for settled districts and Rs 64.3 billion for merged tribal districts.
Under foreign programme assistance, Rs 93.2 billion would be spent including Rs 88.9 billion for settled districts and Rs 4.3 billion for merged tribal districts while Rs 8.3 billion would be received through the Public Sector Development Programme for settled districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
Similarly, the document revealed that the KP will get Rs 31 billion in oil and gas royalties, while net profit and arrears of electricity is expected to be Rs 61.90 billion.
Likewise, a sum of Rs 85 billion will be collected in terms of provincial taxes, whereas foreign aid of over Rs 88 billion is also included in the budget. It added more than Rs 4 billion allocated for external development assistance for integrated districts.
According to budget documents, grants of Rs 208 billion will be given to tribal districts, while other revenue has been estimated at Rs 212 billion.
According to the budget documents, Rs 25 billion earmarked for Sehat Insaf Card programme. Rs 6 billion capacity expansion grant for MTIs and its allied entities and medical college.
Similarly, according to the ADP 2022-23, a sum of Rs 11 billion (current and development) has been set aside for medicines of primary and secondary healthcare, and Rs 4 billion for provision of free OPD medicine in all public sector health facilities in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
A sum of Rs 2 billion has been proposed for provision of missing furniture in schools, while an amount of Rs 2.4 billion allocated for scholarships with a majority of its going to girls.
Likewise, an amount of Rs 1 billion has been set aside for providing ambulatory services for expectant mothers. Rs 2 billion provided as an operational budget to the universities.
According to budget documents, a sum of Rs 29,458 million has been allocated for agriculture sector, including Rs 14,813 million for current expenditure and Rs 10,665 million for development while Rs 3,980 million is foresees on head of foreign assistance.
A sum of Rs 4,191 million has been earmarked for Auqaf and Religious Minority, of the total amount, Rs 3,057 million allocated for current expenditures while Rs 1,134 million for development.
The budget document said an amount of Rs 73 million has been allocated for the Bureau of Statistics, including Rs 73 current expenditures.
Similarly, a record allocation of Rs 227,087 million for Elementary and Secondary Education including Rs 3,410 million for current expenditures while Rs 16,996 million for development and Rs 12,857 million foreign aid.
As per budget documents, an amount of Rs 71,653 million has been allocated for communication and work, including Rs 10,987 million for current expenditures, and Rs 47,809 million for development while Rs 12,857 million would be received from foreign assistance.
For the energy and power sector, a sum of Rs 29,203 million has been set aside under ADP, including Rs 527 million for current and Rs 7,725 million for development while Rs 20,951 million would be received from foreign aid.
A sum of Rs 4,191 million for environment has been allocated, including current Rs 4,144 million and Rs 47 million for development.
According to the budget documents, an amount of Rs 1,607 million has been set aside for Excise and Taxation, including Rs 1,403 million for current and Rs 204 million for development.
An amount of Rs 37 billion allocated for Tehsil Municipal Administrations (TMAs) and development authorities in the finance budget 2022-23.
Provincial Minister for Finance Taimur Salim Jhagra told the provincial assembly that Rs 24.6 billion has been allocated for Tehsil government development, Rs 9.4 billion for local council grant, Rs 2 billion for TMAs and Rs 1 billion for development authorities.
Similarly, Rs 18 billion has been allocated for village and neighbourhood governments including Rs 16.4 billion as development budget for village and neighbourhood governments and Rs 2 billion for expanding janitorial services.
He said that Rs 6 billion has also been specified for Water and Sanitation Services Peshawar (WSSP) and Water and Sanitation Services Company (WSSC).
During his budget speech, the finance minister said that the development budget percentage, 33 percent in KP is the highest compared to Sindh and Punjab. The minister said KP became the hub of international investment during the PTI’s nine-year tenure.
KP government has allocated Rs 55 billion for the health sector.
An historic amount of Rs 47 billion has been earmarked for Elementary and Secondary (E&S) education in the province while a sum of Rs 14 billion and energy and power by Rs 11 billion had been allocated in the provincial budget for FY 2022-23.
The minister announced Rs 15 percent increase in salaries and pension of all the government employees, Rs 15 percent adhoc relief allowance, adding the increase for grade1-19 employees besides DRA allowance. He said risk allowance of police officials from grade 7-16 have been increased and was brought at par of DRA in line with the police martyrs package.
Transport monetization and vehicle leasing policy, change of executive allowance to performance allowance, work from home on Fridays and introduction of fleet cards to save fuel and reduce risk of pilferage across all departments announced.
Jhagra said 100 percent increase in pension expenditure have been witnessed in last couple of years, adding expenditure of pensions, which was only one percent of total KP budget expenditure in 2003-04 i.e. Rs 0.87 billion has jumped to 14.7 percent i.e. Rs 90 billion in 2021-22.
He said amendment in KP Civil Servant Act 1973 has been made under which contributory and provident funds were increased for newly recruited employees under contributory pension scheme under which either lump sum amount one time or long term investment offer would be given to retired employees.
As many as services of 63,0000 employees would be regularised including 675 adhoc doctors from July 1, 2002, regularisation of 58,0000 teachers and 4079 employees of 128 projects of erstwhile Fata during 2022-23.
OPD services under Sehat Card Plus programme would soon be launched in all government hospitals and patients can get free treatment up to Rs 10 million, he said adding Rs 25 billion were allocated for Sehat Plus Card through which eight lakh patients were benefited during 2021-22.
Following inclusion of liver transplant, he said five more chronic diseases including bone marrow transplant, sclerosis, cochlear implants, thalassemia and advance cancer coverage would be included in Sehat Card for which Rs 2.5 billion were allocated. He said that Rs 53.6 billion earmarked for MTIs, allied and medical hospitals in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
Four new medical colleges at Dir, Buner, Charsadda and Haripur would be established besides setting up of four new MTIs at Fountains House Peshawar, Kohat Institute of Medical and Dental Sciences, DHQ Charassadda and Women Children Hospital and DHQ Haripur.
As many as Rs 3 billion were set aside for revamping of secondary care and service delivery while renovation of rehabilitation of 32 hospitals were completed.
Besides allocation of Rs 2.7 billion for 58 hospitals in 24 districts for secondary care hospitals under Public Private Partnership, the minister said that 3000 more beds would be established while the primary care revamping programme carrying allocation of Rs 2125 million was producing excellent results.
The minister said renovation of 700 BHUs and RHCs costing Rs 82.4 billion have been started while renovation of 500 facilities completed. He said Rs 2 billion allocated for strengthening 15 BHUs and RHCs in 15 districts provides better services to people.
He said Rs 10 billion would be spent on provision of free medicines to people besides allocation of Rs 500 million for LHS and LHWs in addition to 3500 additional LHWs recruitment and additional funds of Rs one billion funds for arrangements regarding eradication of polio in Bannu and Dera Ismail and Rs 1.3 billion for launching of maternal ambulance service.
Taimur Jhagra said KP government has decided to maintain tax rates of fiscal year 2021-22, adding 20 percent relaxation would be provided for re-registration of motor vehicles or first registration and there would be no tax on land with full exemption from capital value tax (CVT) and registration fee. He announced students of elementary and secondary education are exempted from fee and exempted library, archives and hostels fees. The minister claimed that tax rates of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Revenue Authority were lower than other provinces of Pakistan.
He said PFM (Public Financial Management) law was being introduced under Article 119 of the Constitution for bringing more transparency in the financial system. Insaf Food Cards programme has been introduced under which Rs 26 billion targeted subsidy would be provided to one million families of KP.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2022
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