The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government on Monday announced a Rs488 billion budget for FY2015-16 in the KP Assembly today.
The budget, which is referred to as ‘poor-friendly’ by KP Finance Minister Muzafar Said, allocated a greater portion of funds to health and education.
Total outlay for the FY15-16 budget is 21 per cent greater than that of the outgoing fiscal year.
Total current expenditure is estimated at Rs313bn, while total current revenue expenditure is estimated to be Rs298bn over FY15-16, and total development expenditure at Rs174.9bn.
The allocations for foreign project assistance and debt servicing both fell compared to FY14-15 estimates by 17.3pc and 0.8pc respectively.
Of the total outlay, 29pc or Rs142bn has been allocated to the Annual Development Programme, an increase of Rs42bn compared to FY14-15’s revised estimate of Rs100bn.
Education
Elementary and secondary education has been allocated Rs98.5bn, while higher education, archives and libraries has been allotted Rs15.5bn, both departments experiencing a 20pc and 16pc increase respectively compared to FY14-15 budget estimates.
Welfare and development
The total budget for welfare, administrative and development budget estimates is Rs487.88bn, of which welfare receives 53pc or Rs259.17bn, while administrative receives 11pc (Rs53.83bn) and development Rs174.88bn or 36pc.
Salaries
A 10pc increase is expected in the salaries of civil servants, while daily wagers are to earn a minimum of Rs13,000 monthly, up from Rs12,000 during FY14-15. Salaries have been allocated Rs175bn in FY15-16, an increase of 20pc over the outgoing fiscal year.
Estimated federal transfers
Total estimated federal transfers are budgeted at Rs371bn, of which federal tax assignment receives the largest share at Rs251bn.
Allocations for various sectors are as follows.
- Education (elementary and higher): Rs114bn
- Health: Rs38.2bn, 14pc increase since FY14-15
- Social welfare, special education, women’s development: Rs1.9bn, 18pc increase since FY14-15
- Police: Rs34.5bn, 14pc increase since FY14-15
- Administration of justice: Rs5.9bn, 13pc increase since FY14-15
- Irrigation: Rs3.6bn, 13pc increase since FY14-15
- Agriculture: Rs3.51bn, 12pc increase since FY14-15
- Forest and environment: Rs1.83bn, 11pc increase since FY14-15
- Communications and infrastructure: Rs2.76bn, 17pc increase since FY14-15
- Pensioners: Rs37.4bn, 20pc increase since FY14-15
- Local government: Rs27.7bn, 82pc increase since FY14-15
- Others: Rs232.8bn, 27pc increase since FY14-15
- Wheat subsidy: Rs2.9bn
- Loan mark-up payments: Rs7.2bn