Balochistan presents Rs352bn budget for fiscal 2018-19

QUETTA: Advisor to the Chief Minister Balochistan for Finance Dr. Ruqayya Saeed Hashmi on Monday unveiled the provincial budget for fiscal year 2018-19 with a total outlay of more than Rs. 352 billions, including a development component of Rs. 88.03 billion and non-development expenditure of Rs. 264.04 billions.

“The total income is estimated at Rs. 290 billion, and the deficit would be Rs. 62 billion,” Ruqayya said.

Special priority has been given to education, health, maintenance of law and order in the budget.

Speaker Raheela Hameed Khan Durani presided over the budget session, while Dr Ruqayya Hashmi presented the budget.

Rs.34 billion were allocated for maintenance of law and order under non-development budget which was increased to 10% as compared to previous budget, including Rs. 2 billion for buying modern ammunition and arms, and Rs. 4,600 billion were allocated as a special allowance for law enforcement agencies.

Special fund of Rs. 40 million was allocated for training law enforcement agencies on modern posts to deal with existing conditions.

Advisor Finance Dr. Ruqayya Hashmi said for the development of Baloch youth, the education sector had been given special priority in the budget, and in this regard Balochistan had set its five-year Balochistan Education Sector Plan under which 100 new primary schools for early childhood education would be established and 100 primary schools would be upgraded to middle.

He said Rs. 43.9 billion rupees had been allocated in non-developmental mode for department schools in the next financial year 2018-19, which was more than 25% higher than the current financial year.

Rs.83.3 million has been allocated for the provision of new furniture, stationery, scientific instruments, and sports goods to all the schools across the province.

A total amount of Rs. 52 million has been allocated to Balochistan Textbook Board for the printing and supply of text books.

Dr Ruqayya Hashmi said under non-developmental budget Rs.55 billion is allocated for department colleges which is 10% higher than the current financial year, Rs 40 million has been allocated for the establishment of Quetta College Directorate and Rs.1.2 billion rupees have been allocated for buying land for the establishment of campus of National University of Science and Technology (NUST) in Quetta city.

Rs.19.4 billion allocated for the health sector for the financial year 2018-19, which is 6% more than the previous year. During the coming fiscal year 2018-19, Rs.2 billion have been allocated for construction of the only cancer hospital in the province and Rs 2.5 billion will be spent for the building of Balochistan Heart hospital.

She said that Rs. 1 billion has been allocated for health insurance program to be started in all the districts of Balochistan.

Government will provide free medicines to Hepatitis, TB, Malaria and HIV patients during the fiscal year 2018-19. Modern machinery will be purchased for Rs 70 million, as well as free medicines of Rs.2 billion will be distributed among poor citizens. Rs. 2.5 billion have been allocated to eliminate Vector Borne Diseases.

Rs. 30 million will be spent on Eye treatment Program, R.1 billion have been allocated to the University of Bolan Medical College, Rs.1 billion have been allotted for establishment of Dental College Quetta, Rs. 19.8 million has been apportioned for the construction of new OPD block in-line with modern technology in Sandeman Civil Hospital, Quetta.

She said that in the fiscal year 2018-19, government has allocated about Rs .8.7 billion for agriculture, which is approximately 5 percent higher than the current financial year.

About 8,358 new jobs have been created in different government departments including education, health and others.

Similarly, 10% increase in salaries and pensions regarding next fiscal year for pensioners and government employees have proposed.