LAHORE: Uncertainty occurred after Covid-19 pandemic has badly affected the Punjab revue collection and expenditure while the government is unable to make expenditure estimates for the next fiscal year.
The revenue collection of the Punjab is badly affected after covid-19 spread while the government is planning for fundraising from public sector assets from the next fiscal year to increase the indigenous resources, besides considering a mini-budget in the mid of the next fiscal year if the covid-19 pandemic spread is contained.
This was informed by the Punjab Finance Minister Hashim Jawan Bakht while chairing a special meeting of the Chief Minister Standing Committee for Finance here on Wednesday in order to brief the cabinet about the difficulties being faced by the Punjab to prepare the budget 2020-21. The meeting was attended by Minister for Industries and Trade Mian Aslam Iqbal, Senior Minister Aleem Khan, Law Minister Raja Basharat, Adviser to Chief Minister Dr Salman Shah, Chief Secretary Jawwad Rafique Malik, Finance Secretary Abdullah Sumbal, Chairman Planning and Development Board Hamid Yaqoob Sheikh and other official concerned.
The minister informed the meeting about ending the subsidy culture along with implementing the public private partnership projects for allocation of more resources for the development projects. The Punjab is spending Rs46 billion annually on different subsides, he said.
The Secretary Finance informed the meeting that the province saved Rs60 billion by controlling the non-development expenditure during the year. The increase in retirement age, voluntary retirement schemes are being considered in the next budget, besides unnecessary appointment to control the current expenditure.
Dr Slaman Shah stressed the need for improving the efficiency and performance of the government departments for better implementation on the annual development plan. He requested the Chief Secretary to resolve the public department matters on public private partnership programme as the projects are stuck with the various government institutions. He suggested fixing a timeline to each department for public private partnership projects.
The meeting also discussed hiring in the public private partnership authority, special corona allowances for frontline people.
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