Budget 2021-22: Shafqat reveals how much govt has allocated for higher education

ISLAMABAD: Federal Education Minister Shafqat Mahmood on Saturday termed the PTI government’s budget for fiscal year 2021-22 “most pro higher education budget ever”.

He said the government has enhanced the Higher Education Commission (HEC)’s budget for development expenditures to Rs37 billion and for non-development expenditures to Rs81bn.

“Development spending enhanced to 37 billion. The maximum spent by [PML-] N in its last year was 18 billion. On the recurring side 66 billion plus special addition of 15 billion making it over 81 billion. Total allocation to HE 118 Billion,” the minister tweeted, thanking Prime Minister Imran Khan for the education budget.

Most pro Higher education budget ever. Development spending enhanced to 37 billion. The maximum spent by N in its last year was 18 billion. On the recurring side 66 billion plus special addition of 15 billion making it over 81 billion. Total allocation to HE 118 Billion. Thx PMIK

— Shafqat Mahmood (@Shafqat_Mahmood) June 12, 2021

Minutes later, Shafqat Mahmood tweeted: “Correction and more good news for higher education. Planning Minister Asad Umar has just told me that development budget has been enhanced by 5.5 billion and is actually 42.5 billion. Thus the total allocation to higher education, development and recurring, is around 124 billion.”

Finance Minister Shaukat Tarin rolled out the budget 2021-22 in the National Assembly the other day.