Punjab government has presented a Rs654.75 billion budget for Fiscal Year 2011-12 with a development layout of Rs220 billion. A major development in the budget is that government has increased the token tax on cars with engine capacity of 1,000CC or more while taxes have also been imposed on elite clubs, swimming pools and farm houses.
The government has also proposed a yellow cab scheme allocating Rs4.5 billion for the project. The government in the development budget will devote Rs23.3 billion and Rs34.90 billion in the health and education sectors respectively. It has also increased salaries and pensions of provincial employees by 15 per cent.
Provincial Minority Affairs Minister Kamran Michael, who was given additional charge of finance ministry, presented the budget. During a 30-minute speech, Kamran Michael thrice hailed the PML-N leaders including Nawaz Sharif and Shahbaz Sharif for being so ‘kind’ to the people of Punjab through the submission of a ‘public friendly’ budget.
He stated that in line with the ‘vision’ of Mian Nawaz Sharif, a comprehensive scheme ‘Punjab Rozgar Scheme’ has been launched. “The government will give yellow cabs to the unemployed and Rs4.5 billion has been allocated for the project. The government will also give Rs20,000 in interest free loans to the unemployed people under Punjab Rozgar Scheme,” the minister said adding the veterinary and agriculture graduates would be given land for development.
The education sector in Punjab would get Rs62 billion with Rs34.9 billion for development schemes and Rs27.1 billion for non-development schemes, the minister said adding that eight new Daanish Schools would be constructed in rural areas of the province. Similarly health sector would get Rs48.8 billion with Rs23.3 billion for development and Rs25.5 billion for non-development, the minister said adding Rs5.5 billion has been allocated for free medicines in hospitals, Rs300 million for dialysis and Rs200 million for hepatitis control programme.
He claimed that in the case of the CM relief fund, around Rs1.55 billion has been allocated for the constriction of 89 villages. He said the government has given Rs52.8 billion for police and law and order, which is 6.2 per cent more than previous fiscal year. General revenue receipts for 2011-12 are expected to be Rs654.67 billion, while the province would receive Rs530.8 billion from the National Finance Commission (NFC) under the federal divisible pool. He said the province would collect Rs88.51 billion through taxes revenues and Rs35.65 billion through non-tax revenues.
While elaborating on developments in the education sector, Kamran Michael said the government would give Rs2.2 billion for distributing free textbooks to the students while the government has also allocated Rs2 billion for giving laptops to the brilliant students. He said the government has allocated Rs4 billion for providing missing facilities in 2,500 schools.
While giving details of health sector, the minister said Rs2.1 billion has been allocated for Rescue Service. He said the government would establish urology hospital in Rawalpindi and burn units in Lahore, Faisalabad, Multan and Rahim Yar Khan Hospitals. It was also noted through the ADP, the government has allocated Rs13 billion for women development. He said Rs2 billion has been allocated for water supply schemes.
The minister said that Punjab is food basket of the country therefore it is very necessary that we give importance to agriculture. “We have allocated Rs3.4 billion for agriculture and Rs19 billion for improving irrigation facilities of the province,” he said adding livestock department would get Rs2.5 billion. “With the help of Iran, we would establish a state of art meat processing plant,” he added. Michael said that the government has also established Punjab Livestock and Dairy Development Board and Rs 500 million allocated for this purpose.
The minister indicated that Rs70 billion has been allocated for expenditure in South Punjab. He stressed that GST on services has been reduced from 17 per cent and fixed at 16 per cent. “Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) would collect GST and it is proposed that Punjab Revenue Authority should be established in the next fiscal year to collect taxes and revenues of the province,” he underlined, adding that next year the government would also introduce self assessment scheme for property tax.
