Daily Times

Advisor to the Chief Minister for Finance Himayatullah on Monday said that the caretaker government had prepared the budget for the financial year 2023-24, however, it would present an approximately Rs 600 billion budget for the next four-month. “If the new government does not come within time then there will not be any issue of budget for the rest of the year as the government has already prepared the budget for the whole fiscal year,” he said, adding that the size of the four-month budget was expected to be Rs 550 to 600 billion, according to a statement. The Advisor said that there was a consideration of 15 to 20 percent increase in salaries and pensions while no new tax would be levied in the budget and no new development plan would be included. Himayatullah said that the province is likely to get 876 billion rupees from the centre during the next financial year while the province would generate 85 billion rupees from its own resources. He said that 30 percent of the budget has been allocated for education, 20 for health, 20 for pension and debt repayment and 10 for peace and security while the remaining 20 percent of the budget have been allocated for all other departments. He said that the size of the provincial ADP size would be Rs 130 billion, adding that the government has decided to extend tax exemptions for merged tribal districts and the former tribal areas of Malakand division for the next two-year.