ISLAMABAD: Gilgit-Baltistan’s budget with a total outlay of Rs63.856 billion rupees for the fiscal year 2018-19 was presented in the Gilgit-Baltistan (GB) Legislative Assembly on Thursday. An amount of Rs31.644 billion has been allocated for non-development and Rs17 billion for development projects and Rs7.9 billion for the Public Sector Development Program (PSDP).
Amidst uproar and protest of opposition parties in the Gilgit Baltistan Assembly, the finance minister of GB, Haji Akbar Taban presented the budget in the assembly.
Throughout the budget speech, members of the opposition parties kept chanting slogans against the much debated Gilgit Baltistan Order 2018, recently promulgated by President of Pakistan Manoon Hussain on the advice of Prime Minister.
The opposition parties rejected the budget proposals under the new order, which is effective from June 1, 2018.
In his budget speech, Taban said Rs7 billion was earmarked for the Public Sector Development Program (PSDP) projects of the Federal Government and about Rs8 billion were set aside for the head of the wheat subsidy. He said it is for the first time that the task of Principal Accounting Officer for PSDP projects were assigned to the Chief Secretary GB, which was very important for the development of GB. Due to the GB Order 2O18, Gilgit Baltistan was brought as per of other provinces and now the GB assembly will get the same powers being enjoyed by others assemblies of the country.
In the new GB order, he said, tax exemption for five years, ban on the appointment of non-local Governor, increase in GB quota in civil service besides other reforms were introduced, which would bring very positive changes in peoples’ life.
Akbar Taban, who is also a senior minister, said that special focus has been given to education and health departments in the budget and that one billion rupees were allocated for Endowment Fund of the Health Department which could be used on the treatment of poor patients.
According to the minister, 55 per cent increase in the budget of Works Department and 51 per cent increase in the Energy Department was made, which was unprecedented in the province history. At least seven mega energy projects were included in the budget that after completion would make GB load shedding free.
A majority of the development budget of the ongoing fiscal was spent while 100 per cent would be utilised by the end of this month. Almost 60 per cent budget allocated for the development and 40 per cent for non-developmental expenditure.
The budget of the social sector was also jacked up by 21 per cent besides a special allocation was made for thermal, wind and solar energy. As per the budget proposals more powers are being given to SDOs and XENs to expedite works on development projects besides ensuring standard and quality of construction works.
Earlier a meeting of Gilgit-Baltistan cabinet was held in Gilgit on Thursday with Chief Minister Hafiz Hafeez-ur-Rehman in the chair approved over Rs63.856 billion budget proposals. Speaking on the occasion, Chief Minister Gilgit-Baltistan said the new budget focuses on improvement of health and education sectors. Hafeez-ur-Rehman said the budget of 2018-19 was balanced, growth-oriented and people friendly.
The Budget equal to maintenance of Parks in Twin Cities
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