ISLAMABAD: The National Assembly Secretariat has directed Ministries and Divisions to submit their proposals for the Public Sector Development Plan (PSDP) for the financial year 2025-26, to obtain approval from the relevant Standing Committees.
In a communication to all Ministries and Divisions, Joint Secretary Committees, Syed Haseen Raza Zaidi, drew attention to sub-rules (6) and (7) of Rule 201 of the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in the National Assembly, 2007. These rules stipulate that: “(6) Each Standing Committee shall scrutinize and suggest amendments, if necessary, and recommend the Ministry’s Public Sector Development Programme for the next financial year before it is sent to the Ministry of Finance for inclusion in the Federal Budget.” According to the rules, each Ministry must submit its budgetary proposals related to the PSDP for the upcoming financial year to the relevant Standing Committee by January 31 of the preceding financial year. The Standing Committee is required to make its recommendations by March 1 of the preceding financial year. If no recommendations are made by March 1 the proposals are deemed to have been endorsed by the Standing Committee.
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Within 37 days of receiving the Standing Committee’s recommendations on the PSDP, the concerned Ministry must report back to the Committee, either: (a) Detailing the inclusion of the recommendations in the Federal Budget for the next financial year, or (b) providing reasons for the non-inclusion of the recommendations in the Federal Budget. In the rules and procedures, the National Assembly Secretariat has requested all Ministries and Divisions to submit their PSDP budgetary proposals for the financial year 2025-26 at the earliest for scrutiny by the Committee.
Sources also indicated that the Senate Secretariat will initiate a similar process, sending letters to Ministries and Divisions to submit their proposed PSDP for 2025-26 for scrutiny and approval before submission to the Ministry of Planning, Development, and Special Initiatives.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
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