KP will spend Rs 232.08 billion on the health sector

PESHAWAR:

Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (KP) in the new fiscal budget has allocated Rs 232.08 billion for the health sector, including Rs 35 billion which will be spent on health-related development projects and another Rs 23 billion for urban development.

According to the budget white paper, in the next financial year, Rs 17.63 billion will be allocated for agriculture-related development projects, Rs 1.16 billion for religious and minority affairs, Rs 1.5 billion for the Board of Revenue, Rs 7.5 billion for water drinking and sewage disposal, R23.28 billion for primary and secondary education, R31 billion for the energy and power sector, R65 million for environment and R750 million for business establishment and administration.

Similarly, excise and taxes will receive 170 million rupees, 20.44 million rupees allocated for finance, 300 million rupees for food, 6 billion rupees for forestry, 35.77 billion rupees for health, 4.67 billion rupees for higher education, 6.52 billion rupees for the Department of Home and Tribal Affairs and 300 million rupees for the housing sector.

Industry is to receive 2.24 billion rupees, information 70 million rupees, labor 150 million rupees, law and justice 2.14 billion rupees, development of livestock and dairying 2.71 billion rupees, local governments 3.38 billion rupees, minerals 210 million rupees , multi-sectoral development 6 rupees 60 billion rupees, social welfare 490 million rupees, public-private partnership 220 million rupees, relief and rehabilitation 1.64 billion rupees, roads 58.39 billion rupees, social welfare 1.33 billion rupees and sports, culture and youth Rs 6.53 billion.

Science & Technology and Information Technology will receive Rs 1.66 billion, Tehsil ADP Rs 30 billion, Tourism Rs 8.38 billion, Transport Rs 100 million, Urban Development Rs 23 billion, Urban Policy Unit Rs 500 million and Irrigation Department Rs 28 billion Rs.

Under the National Finance Commission, R39.28 billion has been included, in line with the three per cent share of the other provinces.

Thus, the Air Rescue Service was launched in KP as part of the provincial PPS. A satellite center of the Peshawar Institute of Cardiology (PIC) will also be set up in the southern districts of the province.

This year, the government allocated 13 percent. additional funds compared to the previous year. ADP also includes medical and dental universities that cooperate with the private sector.

Additionally, the government has allocated Rs 10.97 billion for procurement of medicines and the Sehat Card Plus budget has been maintained at Rs 28 billion in established districts and Rs 9 billion in merged districts.

It may be mentioned here that the government on Friday announced an Annual Development Program (ADP) worth Rs 416 billion for the financial year 2024-25.

Rs416.30 billion has been allocated for development expenditure. This amount includes R120 billion for the provincial ADP, R24 billion for the district ADP, R36 billion for the combined district ADP and R79.29 billion for the Accelerated Implementation Program (AIP).

The ADP program and highlights of KP’s 2024-25 budget announced by Finance Minister Aftab Alam include an allocation of R12 billion for Ehsaas programs for employment, youth and skills, which would create 100,000 jobs for the people of the province.

Presenting the budget for 2024-25 on the floor of the House, the Finance Minister said that 5,000 new houses would be constructed under the Ehsas Own Home program for which Rs 3 billion has been allocated.

Similarly, Rs 10 billion earmarked for CRBC Lift Canal for irrigation of three lakh land, commissioning of Tank, Chodran and Daraban dams, allocation of Rs 26.90 billion for procurement of wheat, Rs 6.50 billion for road construction, Rs 2.50 billion for emergency activities construction works, construction of Dir and DI Khan highway under public-private partnership, construction of road connecting DI Khan with Hakla highway and 470 MW Lower Spat Gah project.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 25^vol2024.