Balochistan assembly presents Rs179.93bn tax-free Budget

Monday, 11 June 2012 22:44

Posted by Asad Naeem

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QUETTA: The Balochistan coalition government has presented Rs 179.93 billion Budget for financial year 2012-13 during the provincial assembly session here on Monday.

The 20 percent increase in salaries and pension of government employees announced while 6530 new vacancies have been created in the next financial budget for 2012-13. No deficit was shown in the budget.

Speaker Muhammad Aslam Bhootani presided over the assembly sitting. Chief Minister Balochistan Nawab Aslam Raisani and Senior Minister Maulana Abdul Wasey were also present in the house. Provincial Minister for Finance Mir Asim Kurd presented the Rs 179.93 billion tax-free budget for next fiscal year 2012-13 which includes Rs 35.81 billion of annual development program and Rs 144.11 billion of non-development expenditures.

It was fifth annual budget presented by the incumbent Balochistan government.

The Finance Minister while delivering his budget speech said that 6530 new vacancies in different government departments have been created in the new budge for 2012-13 adding that the federal government has also promised in its new annual federal budget for provision of funds for providing jobs to 15000 youths of Balochistan.

He said that the government has also allocated funds for providing internship to more 15000 youths in Balochistan in government departments.

Minister Kurd said that Rs 13.53 billion have been earmarked in the Balochistan budget for 2012-13 for maintenance of law and order and the departments pertaining to law and order.

Rs 09 billion has been allocated in the new budget for Health sector and Rs 22.47 billion for Education Sector, he said adding that BPS scale of SST teachers have been upgraded from 16 to 17. The Rs 02 billion has been earmarked for development projects of Education Sector while 150 new schools would be built in next year.

Kurd said that Rs 08.50 billion has been earmarked for Rekodeq project as the provincial government has decided to set up investment board in order to introduce Rekodeq and Sandak copper and gold projects in the market in order to get financial benefits from them.

The Balochistan government has allocated Rs 03 billion for subsidy on agricultural tube-wells in the province while the federal government would also release Rs 04 billion in this regard.

He said that Rs 5.20 billion has been earmarked for agriculture sector adding that farmers would be given special financial aid package.

He disclosed that funds have been allocated in the new budget for implementation of solar home system which would cost Rs 888 million adding that such projects after its execution would also meet our energy requirement besides helping in resolving pollution problem.

He said that Rs 800 million financial aid provided by the Government of Japan would be spent for making Pasni Fish Harbor operational. The minimum monthly wages have been increased from Rs 7000 to Rs 9000.

The Finance Minister said that Balochistan would collect income of Rs 05 billion from its own resources adding that the province would get other receipts from the National Finance Commission (NFC) Award, Gas Surcharge and others. He said that revenue estimates of the province is Rs 107 billion and capital receipts is Rs 36 billion.

He noted that PSDP include 720 ongoing and 732 new schemes. Kurd highlighted that Rs 12 billion has been earmarked for communication sector and construction of roads and others.

He said that Balochistan Budget for 2012-13 includes Rs 02.61 billion of foreign aid. He said that an amount of Rs 3.84 billion has been allocated for construction of dams and repairing of canals.