PESHAWAR: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Finance Minister Muzaffar Syed will present more than Rs 500 billion budget for the fiscal year 2016-17 on Tuesday (today).
As before, the PTI-led government has allotted a huge chunk of its budget to the health and education sectors. The health sector has been allocated funds amounting to Rs 17.4 billion whereas the elementary and secondary education sectors will receive Rs 16.9 billion. The higher education budget will have to contend with a budget of Rs 4.7 billion.
Rs 9.4 billion have been allocated for the local governments whereas Rs 8.2 billion have been allocated to the ‘multi-sectoral development head which has a total of 39 projects under it in the ADP.
Rs 6.2 billion have been allocated to the agriculture sector while the transport sector will be provided by Rs 6.1 billion. The water sector has been granted Rs 7 billion while the roads sector, which will include development and repairs, have been allocated Rs 14.5 billion and will feature 330 projects.
Rs 161 billion have been allocated to the ADP (Annual Development Programme) out of which Rs 36 billion would be obtained from foreign project assistance. The ADP features 1516 development projects out of which 59 were funded through the foreign project assistance. Rs 33.9 billion from the ADP have been set aside for the districts of the province while Rs 80 billion of the ADP will be spent on the province.
A proposal to increase the salaries and pensions of government employees has been included at 10 percent in the budget. Another proposal in the budget calls for the establishment of the very first Girls Cadet College as well. Before presenting the budget, approval of its proposals shall be sought from the provincial cabinet.
Another proposal also included in the budget calls for the construction of the Swat Expressway and setting up of container schools.
