PSB non-development budget to go up by 6.75 percent

ISLAMABAD: In sharp contrast to around 30 to 35 percent cut expected to be introduced on the Pakistan Sports Board (PSB) development budget which is proposed at Rs1900 million, the expected non-development budget could see 6.75 percent increase as the proposed amount stands at Rs1497 million. 'The News' has access to the PSB non-development budget and development budget documents according to which the proposed amount for the financial year 2023-24 is Rs999.974 plus Rs500 million as the non-development budget, around 6.75 percent higher. The amount includes a sum of Rs486.586 million to be spent on employees related expenses (ERE) while Rs513,588 million is non-ERE.

Another amount of Rs500 million is also a non-ERE expense. This amount relates mainly to special grants to federations, normal grants, and other expenses involving on and off-sports promotion. The amount also includes one-time or event-to-event renovations or preparations. Say if a need arises to hold a top-class national or any international event, the amount will be spent on the preparation of that event. Sports federations' normal grant and special grant also come from this Rs500 million head. The ERE directly relates to the PSB employees' salary, perks and privileges, and pensions while the non-ERE where an amount of Rs513 million has been proposed will be spent on another head of the non-development budget like the one that relates to sports promotion including players training, hiring of international coaches and on traveling expenditures of players and contingents abroad including that to be spent during international mega-events. With the South Asian Games approaching fast, efforts are on to give all the sports facilities a proper look and to complete the upgradation work.

The government has already introduced a cut on the PSB development budget which now stands at Rs1900 million against the amount of around Rs3000 million which initially was approved for the financial year 2022-23. However, later a major cut was applied to that development budget due to the financial crunch as around 65 percent budget was released only.