Balochistan govt unveils over Rs612 billion budget for FY23, allocates Rs191 bln for PSDP

Quetta: Delaying the provinvial budget for many days, the Balochistan government on Tuesday  unveiled the province’s budget for the fiscal year 2022-23, with a total outlay of more than Rs612 billion.

Finance Minister Sardar Abdul Rehman Khetran, in his speech at the Balochistan Assembly, said more than Rs191 billion had been proposed for the Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP).

Khetran said Rs28.3 billion have been proposed for the Federal Funded Projects (FFP) and Rs14.6 billion for foreign project assistance (FPA) apart from the proposed development funds of the province.

The finance minister added that 3,367 development projects are currently underway for which the province has proposed Rs133 billion and for the 3,470 new projects, it has proposed a total of Rs59 billion.

He said that the proposed budget is Rs612.79 billion, while the expenditure for the next fiscal year will be Rs539.94 billion, therefore, the budget deficit will clock in at Rs72.85 billion.

Khetran added that the government has approved a 15% hike in the basic salaries of public-sector employees in line with the pay rates of 2017. A 15% raise has also been made to pensions.

The finance minister said the budget for health has been proposed at Rs43 billion, education at Rs83 billion, and Rs56 billion have been proposed for the maintenance of law and order in the province.

He said the minimum wage for labourers has been set at Rs25,000.