Fiscal years 2022-23, 2023-24: Budget presented in KP Assembly amid protest

PESHAWAR: Provincial Minister for Finance Aftab Alam on Friday presented in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly over Rs306.5296 billion budget for financial year 2022-23 & 2023-24 amid walkout by the opposition.

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly Speaker Babar Salim presided over the session. The members of the opposition staged a walkout from the House, calling it illegal. However, they later returned to the House. The assembly also passed a resolution calling for the release of former prime minister Imran Khan. Adviser to the Chief Minister on Finance Muzammil Aslam was prevented from taking the floor.

Presenting the supplementary budget, the finance minister said that total outlay of the ongoing expenditure was estimated as Rs913.842535 billion, including Rs124 billion, allocated for merged tribal districts.

However, the revised estimates were pitched as Rs1.177325 trillion.

Therefore, the ongoing expenditure outlay was now more than Rs103.227723. The outlay of the supplementary expenditure budget of departments swelled to Rs292.9537 billion either due to over expenditure or new expenditure in different heads were made and its approval was necessary from the provincial assembly.

The minister said that Rs23.176 million were provided under different heads including salaries, utility charges and allowances for employees of KP Assembly, Rs209.811 million for salaries and increments to home department, Rs135.294 million to revenue and estates department, Rs825.489 million for food to prisoners and salaries of employees of Prison Department, Rs1499.498 million under head of information technology equipment for virtual courts, grant for lawyers bar associations Rs1334.899 million for POL and electricity payment charges, Rs289.939 million as grant for aid for University of veterinary sciences Swat and Rs488.229 million to Irrigation Department.

He told the House that over Rs13.5759 billion development budget was also being presented for approval.

Moreover, over Rs4.6491 billion were received from the federal government for PSDP projects and Rs8. 9268 billion were provided for foreign funded projects in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

Earlier, the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa cabinet approved the budget for the financial years 2022-23 and 2023-24.

The special cabinet meeting, chaired by Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur via a video-link, also approved revised estimates for the Financial Year 2022-23, essential expenditures for the current month of May (i.e. till May 31st 2024) and the budget strategy for the next financial year (2024-25) after comprehensive discussions, said an official communique.

It is worth mentioning that budgets for the financial year 2022-23 (revised) and 2023-24 could not be approved by the assembly as affairs of the province were run and administered by the caretaker government in the absence of the assembly. The financial requirements of the province were approved from the cabinet with different intervals as per the constitution and the law. The constitution requires that these decisions and expenditure shall have to be now presented before the assembly after approval of the cabinet.

The special cabinet meeting was convened at the Cabinet Room of the Civil Secretariat to deliberate on the annual provincial budgets, with a specific focus on the province’s development sector.

Speaking on the occasion, the chief minister underscored the importance of proposals from all departments to drive industrial growth. He stressed the cabinet members to move beyond the politics of basic infrastructure development, such as streets paving and drainage, and instead prioritize initiatives that enhanced the purchasing power of the general populace. The chief minister reiterated that fostering a conducive business environment was fundamental to attracting investors and boosting revenue streams. The chief minister also outlined the government’s steadfast commitment to farmer-friendly policies, citing the retention of Rs12 billion within the province instead of allocating it to the Pakistan Agricultural Storage and Services Corporation (Passco) for wheat procurement. “This decision underscores the administration’s dedication to empowering local agricultural communities and retaining financial resources for indigenous development initiatives,” he added.

The chief minister underscored the importance of adhering to principles of financial discipline and prudent resource management across all departments. Stressing the need for fiscal responsibility, he urged officials to minimize expenses and ensure the judicious use of available financial resources.

Highlighting the significance of revenue generation, the chief minister directed all departments concerned to focus on increasing their income streams and optimising the utilisation of assets. He emphasized the imperative of transitioning to online tax collection systems for enhanced efficiency and effectiveness. “It is our foremost priority to bolster provincial revenue streams rather than relying on external loans,” stated the chief minister, underscoring the government’s commitment to financial self-sufficiency.