Development budget up by 26% to Rs 2.1 trillion

Author: Farooq Awan

ISLAMABAD: The government on Friday unveiled Rs 2.113 trillion Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP) for the fiscal year 2017-18, showing an increase of 26.14% as compared to Rs 1.675 trillion allocated during the last fiscal year.

Out of the total allocation for PSDP, Rs 1.001 trillion have been set aside for the federal departments whereas a sum of Rs 1.112 trillion has been allocated for the provinces.

Speaking to National Assembly, Finance Minister Ishaq Dar said the Public Sector Development Program for federal departments has its funding increased from 715 billion rupees to 1,001 billion rupees for 2017-18, showing an increase of 40%.

Out of total Rs 1,001 billion federal PSDP, the government has allocated Rs 35.662 billion for the Higher Education Commission, Rs 48.701 billion for National Health Services, Regulations and Coordination Division, Rs 18.936 billion for Finance Division and Rs 15.666 billion for the Interior Division.

An amount of Rs 4.348 billion has been allocated for Aviation Division, Rs 5.188 billion for Capital Administration and Development Division, Rs1.2 billion for Commerce Division, Rs13.660 billion for Communication Division, Rs4.468 billion for Defence Production Division while Rs2.961 billion have been allocated for the Federal Education and Professional Training Division.

An amount of Rs10.386 billion has been earmarked for Housing and Works Division, Rs2.737 billion for Industries and Production Division, Rs1.538 billion for Information Technology and Telecom Division, Rs3.044 billion for Inter-Provincial Coordination Division, Rs1.2 billion for Law and Justice Division, Rs1.614 billion for National Food Security and Research Division and Rs15.085 for Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission.

The Planning, Development and Reform Division would receive an allocation of Rs16.798 billion while Rs12.775 billion would go to Ports and Shipping Division, Rs42.9 billion to Railways Division and Rs2.427 billion to the Science and Technological Research Division.

An amount of Rs26.900 billion has been allocated for States and Frontier Regions Division, Rs3.5 billion for SUPARCO, Rs36.750 billion for Water and Power Division (Water Sector) while an amount of Rs60.909 billion for WAPDA (Power).

An amount of Rs30 billion has been set aside for Prime Minister’s Global SDGs Achievement Programme, Rs40 billion for Special Federal Development Programme, Rs12.5 billion for Energy for All project, Rs7.5 billion for ERRA and Rs5 billion for Special Provision for Completion of CPEC Projects.

The government also earmarked Rs45 billion for Relief and Rehabilitation of IDPs, Rs45 billion for Security Enhancement, Rs20 billion for Prime Minister’s Youth Initiative, Rs25 billion for Gas Infrastructure Development Cess while Rs43.644 billion have been set aside for Kashmir Affairs and Gilgit Baltistan Division.

In addition, the government allocated Rs159 million for Cabinet Division, Rs815 million for Climate Change Division, Rs535 million for Defence Division, Rs270 million for Establishment Division, and Rs200 for Foreign Affairs Division.

The PSDP allocation for Human Rights Division was fixed at Rs306 million, Rs811 million for Information and Broadcasting Division, Rs220 million for Narcotics Control Division and Rs272 million for National History and Literary Heritage Division.

An amount of Rs100 million has been allocated for National Security Division, Rs321 million for Pakistan Nuclear Regulatory Authority and Rs554 billion for Petroleum and Natural Resources Division. Similarly, an amount of Rs790 million has been allocated for Revenue Division, Rs200 million for Statistics Division and Rs217 million for Textile Industry Division.