Federal PSDP outlay for next fiscal year estimated at Rs630 bn  

ISLAMABAD: Deputy Chairman Planning Commission Jahanzeb Khan on Thursday chaired a meeting of Annual Plan Coordination Committee (APCC) to review development framework for the next fiscal year 2020-21 amid coronavirus pandemic, ARY NEWS reported.

The planning ministry said that the gross domestic product (GDP) growth rate would remain above two percent during the next fiscal year.

It was suggested to set Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP) outlay for next fiscal year at Rs630 billion. Out of the total PSDP amount, 59 percent of the funds were estimated to be set aside for infrastructure development.

Health sector will remain under special focus amid COVID-19 pandemic for the next year as government plans to set aside Rs 18 billion for health and population welfare projects from the development outlay.

It was decided to earmark 35 percent of the uplift funds for social sector projects which stand at Rs 185 billion of the PSDP. Last year, 16 percent of the PSDP amount was earmarked for the social sector projects.

It was decided to earmark Rs 159 billion for development projects in transport and communication sector while Rs 70 billion would be set aside for uplift projects in energy sector.

The meeting decided that Rs 64 billion will be earmarked for water-related uplift projects.

Read More: Federal govt sets GDP growth rate target at 2.3pc for next fiscal year

Uplift projects in education sector including Higher Education Commission will get Rs 34 billion from the PSDP.

It is pertinent to mention here that it emerged that the federal government had decided to unveil the budget for the next financial year 2020-21 on June 12.

Prime Minister Imran Khan had granted approval for presenting the budget in the National Assembly on June 12, said sources.

The sources added officers of the Ministry of Finance engaged in preparing the federal budget have been barred from leaving the federal capital to ensure the budget-related work is completed in time.

The government had decided to cut budgetary targets for the next fiscal year in view of the once-in-a-century pandemic’s adverse impact on the country’s fragile economy.