Delay in seeking proposals: federal budget size for Fiscal Year 2015 yet to be indicated

The Finance Ministry has yet to indicate federal budget size for next fiscal year 2014-15, as a result of delay in seeking budget proposals by the Planning Commission of Pakistan (PCP) from ministries, even after expiry of given deadline.
Expressing serious resentment over delay in indicating budget size for fiscal year 2014-15 by the Finance Ministry, the Committee observed that the move resulted in delay of submitting the budget proposals by the Planning, Development and Reforms which is against the law.
The budget proposals were required to be submitted by all the ministries to PCP by January 28, 2014. However, Finance Ministry has not indicated budget size and PCP has not sought budget proposals from other ministries. The committee further expressed concern over the non-constitution of the National Assembly's standing committee on Finance. The way the country's economy was being handled was a matter of extreme concern, the committee observed. The parliamentary panel recommended that all the ministries should send their budget proposals for 2014-15. The PCP on Tuesday revealed that Finance Ministry had yet to indicate budget for 2014-15 due to which budget proposals from ministries had not been sought.
In line with restructuring of PCP, the number of Members (PCP) were increased from the existing seven to 10 by including three new members to cater to the needs of the emerging sectors of economy. Five positions of members (i. implementation & monitoring, ii. energy, iii. ICT & S&T, iv. Social sector, v. infrastructure) fell vacant on expiry of their contracts last year. To fill the five vacant and three new member positions, total eight advertisements were floated in the leading newspapers. The short-listed candidates as per the required qualification and experience were interviewed in last week of January 2014, by the selection board. As per requirements, a summary for the Prime Minister's approval is under process and after approval by the PM; the selected candidates in the respective sectors will be offered the positions.
The committee was further informed that land was being purchased for Neelum Jehlum Power Project (NJHPP) through Revenue Department Azad Jammu Kashmir AJK as per Land Acquisition Act. Amount transferred to Revenue Department AJK so far is 1.4 billion for this purpose. Officials of NJHPP apprised the committee that 4,243 Kanals land was purchased for the project and out of which 2,943 Kanals land was public property while another 719 Kanals was property of Azad Jammu and Kashmir government.
He said Rs 1.4 billion transferred to AJK government for land related issues. About 224 cases were filed against the project in different courts and out of them 171 had been decided, of which decisions of 165 cases were given in favour of the government, while five went against it, officials added.
Higher Education Commission (HEC) officials informed the committee that Rs 18.9 billion was earmarked under the Public Sector Development Program (PSDP) 2013-14, however only Rs 5.8 billion ie 32 percent so far been released. Shortage of funds negatively affecting educational projects as it is the time to pay funds to scholars studying abroad. If the amount earmarked for HEC was not released, it would lapse by June 30.
Since its inception in 2002, HEC started 931 projects, of which 799 projects have been completed; Rs 214.6 billion was approved of which Rs 128 billion was released. The committee expressed serious concerns over the expansionism of HEC projects infrastructure etc, saying it was not the job of the Commission to expand buildings, but it should focus on the quality of education and curriculum related matters.
The committee recommended that there was need of serious review of the Commission to make it at par with the international standards. The committee further said that now there should be a paradigm shift, building expansion should be stopped, while focus should be on regulating other matters. HEC officials informed the committee that it was not the job of the Commission to open new branches, but those were opened on the recommendations of Chief Ministers and Governors despite the resistance of HEC.