Daily Times

ISLAMABAD: Asad Umar, the Minister for Planning, Development, spoke at a news conference in Islamabad on Tuesday about the budget allocation that the PTI-led government has set aside for various projects for the fiscal year 2021-2022.

Umar went on to say that the government has to invest more in health, education, and the environment and that all parts of the country should have equal development chances.

He stated that the country’s manufacturing industry must progress, but this will require a large sum of money, which the government does not have.

“The national development budget for the coming fiscal year has been set at Rs2102 billion, a 36.4 percent increase over the current fiscal year.”

According to him, the federal development budget would be Rs 900 billion, and the government would prioritise water projects in the coming fiscal year.

“Energy, water, social development, and scientific and technology development funds are being raised, while important road projects, like the Sukkur-Hyderabad Motorway, will be completed in the coming fiscal year,” he said.

The minister went on to say that the Sukkur-Hyderabad Motorway project is worth Rs200 billion and that the public-private authority will approve additional projects totaling Rs530 billion.

Concerning water projects in Sindh, Umar stated that the new budget includes funding for the K-IV and Nai Gaj Dams and other water projects totaling Rs25 billion.

He further stated that the electricity transmission infrastructure would cost Rs100 billion, with cash put up for the Tarbela expansion project.

“In the 2019 budget, an amount of Rs44 billion has been set aside for higher education,” Umar remarked. “In the case of the social sector, 20% rather than 11% has been put aside.”

Umar revealed that the government had put aside Rs14 billion for the government’s flagship 10 Billion Tree Tsunami plan in terms of climate change activities.

According to him, the government has spent Rs51 billion on health in the current fiscal year, with Rs85 billion set aside for the Bhasha Diamer and Mohmand Dams.

The minister stated that the government had put aside Rs87 billion for the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) and related initiatives, while Rs42 billion has been put aside for the western route.

Answering  Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah’s claim that the federal government has “ignored Sindh in the upcoming budget,” Umar said while the Sindh government has been accusing the Centre of not allocating enough funds to it, projects in Sindh have yet to be completed for which funds have already been provided.

“The PPP has not built a single inch of motorway in Sindh, despite the fact that projects worth Rs90 billion are currently under progress in the province,” the planning minister said, adding that Sindh is getting its fair share.

“In the meantime, water projects worth Rs25 billion are being implemented in Sindh,” Umar added.