The PTI-led Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) government reserved a record amount of Rs 418 billion for development projects in the Rs 1.33 trillion budget for the financial year 2022-23 in order to accelerate economic recovery, create employment opportunities, improve the human development index and prioritize service delivery by observing the next general election.
The total budget amount of Rs 1.33 trillion is 19 percent higher as compared to the present year’s Rs 1.18 trillion.
In this regard, KP Finance Minister Taimur Saleem Jhagra dedicated the initial part of his budget presentation, which covered almost 16 slides, to admiring ousted Prime Minister Imran Khan and his performance in office.
Read more: Budget FY23 plans to grow economy by 5% and hold down annual inflation to 11.5%
Moreover, budgetary estimates pitch the KP’s total revenue receipts at Rs 1.332 trillion, comprising Rs 670.5 billion federal transfers, Rs 68.6 billion, and Rs 31 billion straight transfers instead of royalty on gas and crude oil.
Meanwhile, Finance Minister made the following announcements:
- 16 percent pay and 15 percent pension increase for government employees
- Police personnel to be brought in BS-6 to 16
- Announcement of transport monetization and vehicle leasing policy
- Regularization of 63,000 government personnel, comprising 675 doctors, 58,000 school teachers, and 4,079 project staff of former Fata
- Under the Insaf Card Food Subsidy Scheme, the KP government would spend Rs 26 billion on providing assistance to almost one million families across the province
- Development of four new medical teaching institutions and four medical colleges in the next fiscal year was also announced
- KP government would soon start six new routes of the Peshawar Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) at a cost of Rs 1 billion.
- An amount of Rs 20 billion has been allotted in the budget for development expenditure in merged KP districts and Rs 2.4 billion as a 20 percent share of local bodies of former Fata.
- The Annual Development Programme (ADP) includes a total of 2,239 projects, comprising 1,710 current and 529 new projects all over the province.
- Rs 4 billion would be consumed on the solarisation of 11,000 mosques across the province
- Rs 15.8 billion to be invested in hydropower projects
- Rs 15.5 billion had been allotted for eco-friendly tourism
- Rs 47.5 billion for road network all over the province
