Balochistan govt unveils Rs 955bn budget 2024-25

QUETTA: Balochistan government on Friday unveiled a budget for the fiscal year 2024-25 with a total outlay of Rs 955 billion, ARY News reported.

Provincial Finance Minster Mir Shoaib Nosherwani presented the budget, proposing up to 25 percent increase in government employees’ salaries.

The PSDP development budget of the province is estimated at Rs 321 billion.

According to the budget documents available with ARY News, the total estimated income is Rs 955 billion with expenditures of Rs 930 billion.

The budget is being presented with a surplus of Rs 25 billion. As per the budget documents, Rs 564 billion has been allocated for current expenditures, while the development budget under PSDP is estimated at Rs 321 billion.

Similarly, Rs 126 billion has been allocated for the Education department and Rs 57 billion for the Health department.

Total of Rs 667 billion is expected to be received from the centre under the National Finance Commission (NFC) while the province’s own revenue is estimated at Rs 124 billion.

Raise in salaries, pension

The finance minister said that the government proposed up to 25 percent increase in salaries of its employees.

Mir Shoaib Nosherwani said that employees from grade 1 to 16 would get 25 increase in salaries while a 22 percent rise has proposed for employees from grade 17 to 22. Meanwhie, the provincial government proposed a 15 percent increase in pensions for retired employees.

Major allocations

Over Rs 138 billion for General Public Service,

Rs 93.12 billion for law and order

Rs 79.36 billion for economic affairs

Rs 49.92 billion for housing and commencement facilities, Finance Minister Balochistan

Over Rs 57 billion for health

Rs 6 billion for culture and religious affairs

Rs 126.26 billion for education sector,

Rs 13.35 billion for social security sector

Rs 13 billion for pensions

Rs 219 billion for development

Alongside the main budget presentation, the supplementary budget for the current fiscal year will also be tabled and subsequently approved by Balochistan Assembly during this session.

A debate on the proposed budget for the upcoming financial year will commence on June 24. The Finance Department anticipates rigorous discussions between government and opposition members, culminating in the budget’s final approval.

The budget session holds considerable importance for the province, setting the financial agenda and priorities for the next fiscal year amidst various economic challenges and development objectives.

It is to be noted that the federal government, Punjab, Sindh and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa have already presented budgets for the FY2024-25.