PESHAWAR: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Chief Minister Mahmood Khan has said that no new tax will be imposed in the upcoming financial budget whereas reforms will be introduced in the existing taxes.
Addressing a news conference, he said that despite difficult situation, developmental projects in the province will not be compromised and commitments with government employees to increase their salaries will be fulfilled. He further said that the daily wages have been increased to 21,000 which will be implemented.
Khan remarked that keeping in view the prevailing difficult financial situation, the provincial government will consider granting a one-time waiver in provincial taxes to the taxpaying private sector employees.
The government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on Tuesday announced to present its budget for the year 2021-22 on June 18th (Friday) at 03:00 p.m. at the provincial assembly session.
Provincial finance minister Taimur Saleem Jhagra was also present during the press conference. Mahmood Khan said that the “successful” merger of Ex-FATA with the province is a major achievement of the provincial government during its three year tenure.
He informed that developmental Budget of merged districts has been increased from Rs24 billion to Rs60 billion annually. The CM said that KP provides 3% of its NFC for the uplift of tribal district however, no other province has fulfilled the commitment made at the time of merger in 2018.
Talking about his government achievement in the past year, he said that extension of Sehat Card Plus scheme to the entire population of the province, successful completion of Bus Rapid Transit and Swat Motorway Phase-I and inauguration of Rashkai Special Economic Zone were some of the major achievements of his government.
The chief Minister claimed that a number of mega developmental projects had been matured and physical work on the same would be started within next two, three months adding that progress was being made on DI Khan Motorway, Swat Motorway Phase-II, Dir Expressway and Chashma Right Bank Canal and Daraban Economic Zone projects. He said, “The provincial government was making all out efforts to start practical work on all these projects.”
He informed that 300 megawatt Balakot Hydro Power Project was the largest project in energy sector of the province which is ready for inauguration.
Mahmood Khan has termed the Sehat Card Plus scheme as a flagship project of the incumbent provincial government and said that such public friendly schemes did not exist even in majority of the developed countries.
