Winds up budget debate: KP govt not to budge on share in national resources, says Jhagra

PESHAWAR: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Minister for Finance Taimur Saleem Jhagra on Thursday said the provincial government would not quit the stance on share in the national resources and net hydel profit of the province.

Winding up the debate on annual budget for the next financial year in KP Assembly, the minister said the provincial government had reflected all the figures and arrears in its budgetary documents.

He said the province would not budge on the stand on due share in the national resources and the federal government would have to pay the amount along with arrears in the net hydel profit.

“We are grateful to the federal government as the province (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa) has been receiving share in the electricity generation on a monthly basis since December last year,” he said.

The minister added that Federal Minister for Finance Shaukat Tarin had made a commitment that the arrears in net hydel profit would be paid within the next three months. During the general debate over the annual budget for 2021-22, opposition parties criticized the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf government for presenting extra amount in its revenue sections to show the budget as surplus and balanced one.

The opposition benches had asked the KP government to raise with the federal government the issue of net hydel profit and its share in the national resources under National Finance Commission (NFC) Award as the same parties were in power at the Centre and in the province.

The lawmakers from the opposition had expressed support to the KP government in its struggle for provincial rights and shares. In response to the opposition parties’ remarks and criticism, Taimur Saleem Jhagra said no new taxes were levied in the budget while some existing ones like professional taxes, land taxes and vehicle registration fees had either been abolished or reduced.

“This is not an IMF-dictated or NGO-oriented budget but purely a public-friendly budget that has been prepared with a clear vision to provide maximum facilities and services to the people in province,” he said and called it a ‘growing budget’ that would usher a new era in the province.

The finance minister highlighted the funds allocated for health and education sectors, especially for extending the health insurance cover to the entire population of the province. He said Rs 23 billion had been allocated for Sehat Insaf Cards after treatment and surgeries incurring high costs were included in the cards.

Taimur Saleem Jhagra said the funds allocated for the development schemes and projects would be fully utilised during the next financial year. “The former tribal areas had remained underdeveloped and backward for the last 70 years and the provincial government as well as the federal government wanted to bring them on a par with the rest of the country,” he said.

He added that the KP government would demand three percent share for the merged districts in the upcoming National Finance Commission Award. The finance minister and other treasury benches members lauded the role of the opposition during the budget speech and their positive criticism during the general debate over the annual budget for 2021-22 in the provincial assembly.