Funds for development projects announced by Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif after the Panama leaks on 3 April were not allocated in current Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP)-2015-16, it is learnt. According to sources, the federal government would allocate funds for development projects announced by the Prime Minister in budget-2016-17 effective 1 July.
When contacted, Asif Sheikh, Advisor for Federal Budget Development Planning at Ministry for Planning Development and Reforms told Business Recorder that proper procedure would be adopted for the projects recently announced by the Prime Minster. He said that the amount would be allocated in next financial year for the projects in development budget-2016-17.
He further stated that the Ministry for Planning, Development and Reforms would first approve the PC-1s of the projects followed by the approval of the funds from the Central Development Working Party (CDWP) and Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC).
The federal government released Rs 482 billion (69 percent of the total budgeted for the year), including Rs 82 billion foreign aid, under the PSDP for various development projects against the budgeted allocation of Rs 700 billion till 13 May, 2016.
The government released Rs 156.43 billion including Rs 16.4 billion foreign aid out of the total budgeted allocation of Rs 209.6 billion for various federal ministries and departments in the current fiscal year.
According to the latest data released by the Ministry of Planning, Development and Reforms, a total of Rs 74.69 billion has been released for National Highway Authority (NHA) including Rs 14 billion foreign aid against the total allocation of Rs 159.6 billion for the current fiscal year. The federal government has also released Rs 102 billion including 45 billion foreign aid for Water and Power Development Authority (WAPDA-Power sector) out of the Rs 114 billion budgeted while Rs 23.51 billion including Rs 455 million foreign aid has been released for WAPDA (water sector) out of the budgeted Rs 30 billion.
According to the data, the government released Rs 14.6 billion including Rs 2.57 billion foreign aid for Interior Division out of the total budgeted allocation Rs 12.3 billion and Rs 1.5 billion for Science and Technology, Research Division out of its budgeted allocation of Rs 1.51 billion.
The Planning Commission has also released a total of Rs 25.8 billion for Railways Division out of Rs 41 billion earmarked in the PSDP 2015-16. The government released Rs 26.6 billion for various projects of Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission out of its total budgeted allocation of Rs 30.4 billion earmarked under PSDP for 2015-16. The Planning Commission has released Rs 2.15 billion has been released for Federal Education and Professional Training Division.
The government released Rs 700 million for Aviation Division out of Rs 3.9 billion budgeted for this year. A total of Rs 1.5 billion for Capital Administration and Development Authority against its total budgeted allocation of Rs 2.2 billion, Rs 1.6 billion for Defence Division and Rs 91.23 million for Establishment Division. A sum of Rs 1.7 billion has been released for Planning, Development and Reforms Division out of Rs 5 billion budgeted for the year.
The government has also released Rs 5.6 billion including Rs 4.6 billion foreign aid for Earthquake Reconstruction and Rehabilitation Authority (Erra), out of its total annual allocation of Rs 7 billion; and a sum of Rs 13.7 billion has been released for Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) development projects out of its annual allocation of Rs 13.8 billion. The government released Rs 9.4 billion for development projects of Gilgit-Baltistan against Rs 9.94 billion budgeted for the current year. A total of Rs 19 billion has been released for the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) against the total allocation of Rs 19.7 billion.