MUZAFFARABAD: The Azad Jammu & Kashmir (AJK) government on Thursday presented over Rs 1.39 trillion people friendly and tax free budget for the next fiscal year 2020-21.
Presenting the budget in the Legislative Assembly, Minister for Finance Dr Najeeb Naqi said total revenue collection for the next financial year had been projected as over Rs 1.15 trillion with capital expenditure estimated at Rs 1.5 billion.
"The government will receive Rs 28.5 billion from tax revenue and FBR (Federal Board of Revenue) taxes, Rs 70 billion state receipts, and Rs 19 billion on account of other miscellaneous receipts."
The minister said Rs 24.5 billion had been proposed for the Annual Development Programme (ADP), including 72 percent funds for the ongoing projects and 28 percent for the new ones. Some 199 schemes would be accomplished during the next financial year.
Dr Naqi said projecting the Kashmiris cause, maintaining good governance and achieving sustainable development were the topmost priorities of the AJK government.
He thanked the Federal Government for allocating funds for the development of AJK despite financial constraints.
He said a project costing over Rs 3.64 billion for the Indian firing affectees had been incorporated in the federal development programme. About Rs 3 billion had been proposed for the ongoing schemes under the Federal Ministry of Kashmir Affairs, he added.
The minister informed the House that about 640 kilometres long roads connecting the AJK districts with Pakistan would be accomplished in the next financial year. Moreover, work on Authmuqam-Kail Tao Butt Road had been initiated while 725 kilometres long link roads would be constructed during the year.
He said a project costing Rs 5 billion had been included in the development programme to promote tourism and trade activities in the region.
Dr Najeeb Naqi said AJK government had allocated 72 percent of its budget for the infrastructure development with the main focus on communication, hydropower generation, tourism, education and health sectors.
"Three power projects have been completed during the current financial year while 14.4 megawatt Jheeng Hydel power project is in the last stage of completion. Work on 127 megawatt different hydel power projects would continue during the next financial year," he added.
The minister said the government had identified hydel power projects with capacity of 9,257 megawatt electricity. "About 245 megawatt hydel power projects will gradually be completed by 2023. These projects will help the AJK government generate Rs 10 billion annually," he added.
Elaborating the salient features of budget, he said three testing laboratories for Covid-19 had been set up at divisional level which had conducted 10,000 tests so far. The government had earmarked Rs 700 million for the coronavirus victims.
He said the government had started other special initiatives, including digitalization of land records of eight tehsils during the next financial year.
Dr Najeeb said the AJK government was paying attention to the promotion of technical education as it had set up skill development fund of Rs 1 billion. The AJK youth would be given technical training in the reputed institutions in Pakistan to enable them to grab foreign employment. A poly-technical college was being set up in Bhimber while a military college had been proposed in the next financial year.
He said under the development programme, agriculture machinery, seeds and fertilizers would be provided to the farmers on subsidize rates. Some 270 new dairy forms would be setup to promote livestock production in the state.
The minister said political interventions had been discouraged in education as 6,500 teachers were recruited on merit through NTS. "All three medical colleges were affiliated with the University of Health Sciences Lahore. The outgoing students of the medical colleges were accommodated in the major hospitals of the state for the house job. Some 300 vacancies of house job and 196 vacancies of post graduate trainees were created in the health department," he added.
Dr Najeeb Naqi said the AJK president and prime minister as well as opposition members in their visits to the United Kingdom, the United States, Canada, Saudi Arab, Turkey, Australia, Belgium, Germany and other European countries highlighted true sentiments of the Kashmiris.
Describing the expenditure on expected income during the next fiscal year, the finance minister said the expenditure of total receipts had been estimated at Rs 115 billion, including Rs 28.5 billion on tax revenue, Rs 90 million on law and order, Rs 76 million on the Land Record and Settlement, Rs 320 million on stamp papers, Rs 58 million on transport authority, Rs16.9 billion on electricity, Rs 600 million miscellaneous, Rs 40 million on industries, 230 million on police, 0.500 million on jails, Rs 386 million on communication and works, Rs 175 million on education, Rs 150 million on health, Rs 46 million on religious affairs, Rs 255 million on food department, Rs 10 million on agriculture, Rs 30 million on wildlife and fisheries, Rs 35 million on animal husbandry, Rs 400 million on forests, Rs 7.0 million on labour, Rs 4.0 million on sericulture, Rs 41 million on the Government Printing Press, Rs 15 million on Armed Services Board, Rs 70 billion on grants, Rs 670 million on water use charges, Rs 10 million on minerals, Rs 20 million on tourism and Rs 540 million on loan advances.
The minister said under the annual development expenditures, Rs 382 million had been set aside for agriculture and livestock, Rs 95 million for civil defence, Rs 245 million for development authorities, Rs 25.078 billion for education, Rs 70 million for environment, Rs 1.121 billion, for projects being run by foreign aid, Rs 400 million for forests, wildlife and fisheries, Rs1 billion for health, Rs 528 million for industries and minerals, Rs 20 million for transport, Rs 37 million for information and media development, Rs 235 million for Information Technology, Rs 2.795 billion for local government and rural development, Rs 2.155 billion for physical planning and housing, Rs 1.070 billion for electricity, Rs 268 million for research and development, Rs 100 million for rehabilitation/resettlement, Rs 150 million for social welfare and women development, Rs 220 million for sports, youth and culture, Rs 200 million for tourism and Rs 10.2 billion for roads, communication and works.
Sharing details of the ongoing expenditures, the finance minister said Rs 5.073 billion would be spent on general administration, Rs1.024 billion on Board of Revenue, Rs 22.300 million on stamp papers, Rs 1.0531 billion on rehabilitation and relief, Rs 22 billion on pension, Rs 170 million on information, Rs 1.078 billion on judiciary, Rs 6.560 billion on police, Rs 207.3 million on jails, Rs 229 million on civil defence, Rs 81.2 million on armed services, Rs 3.869 billion on communication and works, Rs 28.880 billion on education, Rs 10.272 billion on health, Rs 96.6 million on sports, youth and culture, Rs 131.8 million on religious affairs, Rs 532.8 million on social welfare and women development, Rs 805 million on agriculture, Rs 734.3 million on livestock, 267.8 million on food, Rs 2 billion and 0.27 million on state business, Rs 1.184 billion on forests, Rs 28.2 million on cooperative, Rs 8.762 billion on electricity, Rs 627 million local government and rural development, Rs 156.8 million on industry and mineral development, Rs 75 million on printing press, Rs.1 billion and 0.1900 million on sericulture, Rs 189.4 million on tourism, wildlife and fisheries and Rs 16.524 billion on miscellaneous (grants).
The revised budget of over Rs 1.18 trillion for financial year 2019-20 was also approved.
Earlier, the cabinet in its meeting presided over by Prime Minister Raja Farooq Haider Khan approved the revised budget for the current fiscal year of 2019-20 and proposal for the new fiscal year 2020-21.
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