Islamabad: The Annual Plan Coordination Committee (APCC) on Thursday provided its recommendation for a National Development Budget worth PKR 1.312 trillion for Fiscal Year (FY) 2020-21 to the National Economic Council (NEC), according to a news source.
To this effect, the Planning Commission chairman presided over an APCC meeting where the members suggested this budgetary allocation. The amount recommended is lower than the PKR 1.61 trillion for the outgoing FY, with a difference of PKR 292 billion. The current PKR 1.312 trillion will also include over PKR 233 billion borrowed from foreign financial lenders.
According to reports, the total proposed outlay for the Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP) 2020-21 stands at PKR 630 billion. The APCC recommended allocating PKR 536 billion to the PSDP, 24% lower than the current year. The Ministry of Planning added that it had recommended an additional PKR 100 billion to improve the lives of the common people. This PKR 100 billion will not officially be part of the PSDP unless the prime minister extends his approval.
A breakdown of the current PSDP budget is as follows:
PKR 14 billion for the Ministry of National Health Services
PKR 29 billion for the Higher Education Commission
PKR 4.5 billion for the Ministry of Education
PKR 44.8 billion for special areas like Azad Jammu and Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan
PKR 5 billion for the climate change ministry
PKR 12 billion to the Ministry of Food and Agriculture
PKR 800 million to the Ministry of Industries
PKR 24 billion for schemes recommended by members of the National Assembly and Senate
PKR 50.5 billion for the Ministry of Finance
PKR 24 billion to the Ministry of Railways
PKR 75.8 billion to the Water Resources Division
PKR 16 billion to the Diamer-Bhasha Dam
PKR 110 billion to the National Highway Authority
PKR 35 billion to the Pakistan Electric Power Company
