Govt has Spent 68% of Allocated Funds for Development for Year 2016/17

The government has released Rs 546.21 billion (68 percent of allocated funds), including Rs 150 billion foreign aid, for different development projects under the Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP) 2016-17 against the total budgeted allocation of Rs 800 billion.

According to the latest data released by the Ministry of Planning, Development and Reform, the government has released Rs 125 billion including Rs 8.1 billion foreign aid for development projects of various federal ministries against the total budgeted allocation of Rs 235.7 billion.

However, the government is yet to release funds for development projects of Foreign Affairs Division, Textile Industry Division and GAS Infrastructure Development Fund.

The government has released Rs 166 billion including Rs 79 billion foreign aid for infrastructure projects of National Highways Authority (NHA) against the budgeted allocation of Rs 188 billion.

The government has also released Rs 24.34 billion for development projects of Pakistan Railways Division against total budgeted allocation of Rs 41 billion for current fiscal year 2016-17.

Planning Commission released Rs 17.3 billion including Rs 7.3 billion foreign aid for different projects of the Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission against the total budgeted allocation of Rs 28.8 billion for fiscal year 2016-17. During the period under review, an amount of Rs 11.85 billion including Rs 210 million foreign aid was released for Water and Power Division (water sector) for construction and development of water reservoirs, irrigation and power generations against the total allocation of Rs 31.71 billion.

A total of Rs 121.27 billion, including Rs 51.4 billion foreign aid was released for Wapda (power sector) for development power projects against the budgeted allocation of Rs 130 billion.

Under the PSDP 2016-17, the government has released Rs 13.35 billion for different projects of Higher Education Commission (HEC) as against the total allocation of Rs 21.486 billion.

The government released Rs 2.2 billion for Capital Administration and Development Division, Rs 572.9 million for Climate Change Division, Rs 1.5 billion for Defence Production Division, Rs 9.6 billion for Interior Division, Rs 177.7 million for Pakistan Nuclear Regulatory Authority and Rs 2.52 billion for Planning, Development and Reform.

Under PSDP 2016-17, an amount of Rs 4.75 billion was released for different development projects of Housing and Works Division against the total budgeted allocation of Rs 7.6 billion. The government released Rs 514.9 million for different developmental projects of National Food Security and Research Division against the earmarked Rs 15.2 billion for the development of agriculture sector in the country.

An amount of Rs 20.12 billion has been released for the National Health Services, Regulation and Co-ordination Division against the budgeted allocation of Rs 24.951 billion in the PSDP for the uplift of health sector of the country. The government has released Rs 51.7 billion for special federal development programme for temporarily displaced persons (TDPs) and security enhancement under current year;s development programme for the rehabilitation of TDPs as against the total allocation of Rs 100 billion.

The government released Rs 13.187 billion including Rs 4.1 billion foreign aid for development projects of Azad Jammu and Kashmir against the total budgeted allocation of Rs 14.7 billion for current fiscal year. The government also released Rs 9.64 billion for development projects of Gilgit-Baltistan against the Rs 11.2 billion budgeted allocation, while Rs 21.46 billion including Rs 134.9 million foreign aid have been released for the projects of Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) against the total budgeted allocation of Rs 22.3 billion.

The Planning Commission of Pakistan has so far followed the stipulated mechanism for release of funds; first quarter (July-September) 20 percent, second quarter (October-December) 20 percent, third quarter (January-March) 30 percent and fourth quarter (April-June) 30 percent.