Quetta: The Balochistan government presented a budget of 2023-24, amounting to PKR 750 billion, according to news published on June 19. The budget was presented by Balochistan Finance Minister Zamrak Khan Achakzai, acknowledging the financial difficulties faced by the province.
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The Minister revealed that PKR 437 billion has been allocated for non-development expenditures, while PKR 229.3 billion has been earmarked for the Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP). It was mentioned that the government plans to spend PKR 35 billion as a development grant, with an additional PKR 39 billion expected from foreign financing. The estimated deficit for the fiscal year 2023-24 is PKR 49 billion.
Moreover, a total of 4,721 development schemes will be introduced at a budget of PKR 170.7 billion, creating 4,389 new job opportunities for the youth. Finance Minister Achakzai highlighted that the government has allocated PKR 5.5 billion for the health card.
According to the budget document, the province will receive PKR 464.7 billion from the federal government. It anticipates generating PKR 37.6 billion from taxes and an additional PKR 19.4 billion from non-tax revenue. The capital receipts of the province for 2023-24 are estimated at PKR 34.7 billion.
Read: Budget 2023-24: Govt proposes budget with PKR 14tr outlay
The budget allocation includes:
- PKR 53.6 billion for Economic Affairs
- PKR 61.8 billion for Public Order and Safety
- PKR 492 million for Environment Protection
The government plans to spend PKR 27.5 billion on housing and amenities, while PKR 42.8 billion will be allocated to the health sector. The capital expenditure for 2023-24 is set at PKR 37.1 billion.