The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government is reviewing the public sector development programme (PSDP) envisaged in the budget for 2018-19 presented by the Abbasi-led administration on 26 April 2018 and intends to slash it by Rs 250 billion, it is learnt.
According to sources, Finance Ministry has already tasked the Ministry of Planning, Development and Reform to prepare a comprehensive summary of development and non-development projects of relevant ministries, divisions and their departments. Ministry of Planning, Development and Reform has received input from ministries and their relevant departments and a meeting between the officials of Ministries of Planning and Finance would be held next week to prepare a summary reviewing PSDP 2018-19. This comprehensive summary would be presented to the Prime Minister who would then take the final decision on which projects to continue, which ones to cancel and which ones to add.
Sources told this correspondent that the PTI government intends to include its own priority projects focusing on water, health and education projects as well as those under the umbrella of China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). To date the government has released Rs 34.7 billion for different development projects under PSDP 2018-19 against the total budget allocation of Rs 1030 billion that includes Rs 100 billion Public-Private Partnership (PPP) mode financing (outside the budget).
According to the latest data released by Ministry of Planning, Development and Reforms, a total of Rs 22.75 billion has been released in the current fiscal year (1 July to 7 September) for various ministries, divisions and their departments but foreign aid has not been released so far for any department. No funds have been released for 17 ministries, divisions and their departments including Commerce Division, Board of Investment, Climate Change Division, Economic Affairs Division, Statistics Division, Industries and Production Division, Inter-Provincial Coordination, National History and Literary Heritage, Postal Services Division, Foreign Affairs, and Finance etc.
The government has released Rs 4.632 billion for Higher Education Commission, Rs 2.62 billion funds for development projects of Interior Division and Rs 4.73 billion for Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission. The government released Rs 210.45 million for Aviation Division, Rs 201.46 million for Cabinet Division, Rs 321.26 million for Capital Administration and Development Division, Rs 2.78 million for Communication Division, Rs 50.79 million Defence Division, Rs 380 million for Defence Production Division, Rs 20.175 million for Establishment Division, Rs 290 million for Information Technology and Telecom Division, Rs 414.52 million Maritime Affairs Division and Rs 19.49 million for Narcotics Control Division for current fiscal year 2018-19.
The Ministry for Planning, Development and Reforms has released Rs 553.86 million for National Health Services, Regulatory Authority, Rs 60 million for Pakistan Nuclear Regulatory Authority, Rs 9.327 million for Petroleum Division, Rs 865.65 million for Planning, Development and Reforms Division, Rs 3.38 billion of Railway Division, Rs 224.92 million Revenue Division and Rs 3.6 million for Textile Industry Division.
The government released Rs 4.74 billion for development projects of Azad Jammu and Kashmir against the total budgeted allocation of Rs 29.88 billion for current fiscal year-2018-19. The government has released Rs 7.078 billion funds for the development projects of Gilgit-Baltistan and Rs 110 million for Earthquake Reconstruction and Rehabilitation Authority (ERRA). Funds are released as per quarterly ceilings: first quarter (July - September) 20%, second quarter (October - December) 20%, third quarter (January - March) 30% and fourth quarter (April - June) 30%.
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