KP caretaker govt approves budget 2023-24

PESHAWAR: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa caretaker Government on Tuesday approved Rs462.426 billion expenditure for four months (July 1 to October 31, 2023) and announced 35 percent adhoc relief allowance for its employees BS 1 to 16 and 30 percent from BS 17 and above and 17.5percent in pension of all pensioners.

Presenting the salient features of authorized expenditure for the above four months, Adviser to the chief minister for finance and energy, Himayat Ullah Mayar here said that Rs350.041 billion was fixed as total authorized current expenditure, Rs309.498 bln for settled current expenditure, Rs40.543 bln for newly merged areas (NMA) current expenditures for the said four months, the state news agency reported.

On the development side, he said the authorized development expenditure for July 1 to October 31, 2023, is Rs112.385 billion, the settled development expenditure is Rs92.122 bln and NMA’s Rs20.263 bln for the said months.

As many Rs8.667 bln expenditure for the Annual Development Programme, Rs1.263 bln for FPA and Rs10.333 bln for Accelerated Implementation Program of NMAs were authorized for the said four districts.

The Adviser announced 50pc increase in traveling allowance for all Provincial Government employees, 100pc increase in special conveyance allowance for disabled employees and an increase in orderly allowance from Rs14,000 per month to Rs25,000 per month.

Besides 50pc increase in deputation allowances and 100pc in secretariat performance allowance, the Adviser also announced the extension of executive allowance to officers of special duty an increase of minimum wages from Rs26,000 per month to Rs32,000pm and ration allowance of police and jails from Rs681pm to Rs1000pm respectively.

Referring to authorized expenditure for different departments for July 1 to October 31, 2023, the KP Adviser said that Rs11,653.26 mln expenditure are fixed for Agriculture, Livestock, Fisheries and Cooperatives, Rs1295.72 mln for Aukaf, Religious, Hajj Department, Rs20,729.17mln for Communications and Works, Rs107,953.58 mln for Education, Rs6,941.77mln for Energy and Power Department, Rs3,776.15 Environment and Forests, Rs2400.59 mln for Establishment and Administration Department, Rs614.02 mln for Excise and Taxation, Rs14,631.68 Finance Department, Rs74,597.67 Health Department, Rs18,34.72mln for Home and Tribal Affairs Department, Rs239.59mn for Housing Department and Rs2519.09 mln for industries and technical education.

Similarly, Rs368.77 mln expenditures fixed for Information Department, Rs29.98 mln for IPC, Rs9861.95 mln for Irrigation Department, Rs1692.95 mln for jails and convicts settlement, Rs294.74 mln for Labour Department, Rs5,289.60mln for Law and Parliamentary Affairs, Rs20,775.01mln for P&D, Rs38,143.95 mln for Police, Rs8443.30 mln for Public Health Engineering, Rs4033.57mln for Relief and Settlement, Rs13,184.04 mln for Revenue, Rs2833.72mln for Sports, Culture, Rs3139.65mln for Tourism, Rs2314.26mln for Transport, Rs1000 mln for investment, Rs16,600mln for debt servicing, Rs10,333.33mln for tehsil ADP, Rs36,738.88 food Department and Rs10,100 mln for payment and advances.

The KP Adviser for Finance said that 10 percent of the allocated funds would be released positively for ongoing projects of a sector at the start of fiscal year and the administrative department would ensure releases for the completion of ongoing schemes while subsequent releases would be made on the provision of utilization certificate of at least 90 percent of the already released fund.

He announced a complete ban on new schemes and no release to be made in the names of individuals with respect to umbrella schemes.

Himayat Ullah said that 100 percent release in salaries and utility charges besides financial assistance to the families of deceased in Government Service would be provided.

He said that 25 percent releases shall be made to all medical teaching institutions.

The Adviser announced a complete ban on recruitment, creation of new posts excluding completed development projects, purchase of vehicles except for ambulances, earth moving machinery and fire trucks, participation in seminars on Govt funds and workshops on five stars hotels and abroad treatment on govt expenses.

He said no appointment would be made against vacant posts except by promotion and no recruitment in dying cadre.

He said that all posts that were vacant for three years would be abolished and CM shall constitute a cabinet committee to quarterly review the fiscal situation.

Himayat Ullah said that the caretaker government has efficiently pursued the issues of net hydel profits, NMAs share, federal arrears, outstanding gas and energy matters with the federal government.

He said the federal government was providing allocation to KP govt under anti-terrorism share set under NFC and Rs5 billion were received under Net Hydel Proft arrears from Federal Government this year.

He said that Rs3.5 bln were released for the BRT project and another Rs3.5 bln would be released for it in the current fiscal year.

The Adviser said that no loan (overdraft) has been taken by the caretaker government and Rs4 bln deficit in the current fiscal budget is expected and the budget 2022-23 was likely to close on Rs815 bln.

He said that a minimum common economic and political agenda and concept paper for the charter of the economy of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa was published by the caretaker govt providing solutions to the inherited challenges.

Earlier, the authorized expenditure for the said fourth month were approved by the caretaker government cabinet with Chief Minister Azam Khan in the chair.

Caretaker Finance Minister Faroz Jamal and other ministers, advisers and administrative secretaries of the relevant departments were present.