The Government of Pakistan has spent Rs. 388.52 billion out of a total allocation of Rs. 900 billion under the Public Sector Development Program (PSDP) during the July-February period of the fiscal year 2021-22.
The expenditure of PSDP projects across 36 divisions and departments has been recorded at Rs. 388.55 billion out of the total sanctioned amount of Rs. 422.15 billion during the first eight months of the current fiscal year, according to a document ProPakistani obtained from the Planning Commission. The government disbursed Rs. 580.55 billion during this period, including a foreign component of Rs. 77.68 billion.
As per the data, the government spent the majority of the development budget on federal public sector development programs. The Cabinet Division spent Rs. 48.79 billion of the authorized Rs. 68.12 billion, while the Communication Division spent Rs. 49.35 billion of the sanctioned amount of Rs. 54.00 billion during the first eight months of the ongoing fiscal year.
The document revealed that the Finance Division used Rs. 70.71 billion as opposed to the Rs. 70.54 billion sanctioned amount during the eight months. The figures show that the division over-utilized Rs. 171.05 million from the sanctioned amount for the period, from the allocated amount of Rs. 123.04 billion for the current fiscal year.
The Information Technology & Telecom Division bankrolled projects worth Rs. 1.12 billion from the sanctioned amount of Rs. 4.26 billion, while the Information & Broadcasting Division dished out Rs. 207 million out of the sanctioned sum of Rs. 839 million.
The Defence Division spent nearly half of the sanctioned amount of Rs. 1.23 billion by developing projects worth 656.76 million. Similarly, the Defence Production Division spent Rs. 719.57 million from the sanctioned amount of Rs. 1.11 billion during the July-February period of the fiscal year 2021-22.
The figures also show that the actual expenditures of the Board of Investment (BOI), Power Division, and Kashmir Affairs & Gilgit Baltistan Division were in line with projections for the sanctioned amount. According to the document, the BOI used Rs. 18.46 million as against an allocation of Rs. 80 million. The Kashmir Affairs & Gilgit Baltistan Division also expensed Rs. 41.23 billion out of Rs. 69.95 billion of the allocated amount and over-utilized the sanctioned amount by 2.47 billion during the eight months of the current fiscal year.
The Power Division used Rs. 33.19 billion during the period in review. It bears mentioning that the government had sanctioned Rs. 5.78 billion out of the authorized amount of Rs. 47.58 billion.
Likewise, the Water Resources Division used Rs. 49.14 billion out of the authorized disbursements of Rs. 69.79 billion for PSDP projects. Under this division’s headline, the government had sanctioned Rs. 48.17 billion for PSDP projects in the first eight months of the current fiscal year.
The Higher Education Commission used Rs. 12.67 billion of the sanctioned Rs. 22.73 billion, the Science and Technology Research Division used Rs. 713 million out of the sanctioned amount of Rs. 2.71 billion, and the National Food Security & Research Division expensed Rs. 6.99 billion out of the allocated amount of 12.01 billion, and over-utilized the sanctioned amount of Rs. 6.78 billion by Rs. 205.67 million during eight months of the current fiscal year.
Also, the National Health Services, Regulations & Coordination Division utilized Rs. 6.42 billion out of the sanctioned amount of Rs. 8.5 billion, while the Maritime Affairs Division spent Rs. 975.38 million during the period in review.
Other miscellaneous expenditures show that the Religious Affairs & Interfaith Harmony Division financed federal projects worth Rs. 171.35 million. The National Heritage and Culture Division spent Rs. 4.54 million against a sanctioned amount of 52.63 million, while the Petroleum Division spent Rs. 313.43 million against the sanctioned kitty of Rs. 1.67 billion.
The Pakistan Nuclear Regulatory Authority (PNRA) spent Rs. 144.00 million from the sanctioned amount of Rs. 166.40 million during the period.
Conversely, the government’s allocation for the COVID Responsive and Other Natural Calamities Program of Rs. 5 billion was not spent at all in 8 months of the current fiscal year.
