Budget: Rs700bn for development

The government on Friday announced Rs700 billion Public-Sector Development Programme (PSDP) for 2015-16 with major emphasis on water and power, temporarily displaced persons, highways, railways, education, Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission, PM Youth Loan Programme and ports and shipping.

The allocation was higher by 29.1 per cent from this year’s PSDP of Rs542bn.

WATER AND POWER: An amount of Rs142.2bn was allocated for this sector, with Rs30bn in water and Rs112.2bn in power.

The budget document said that 13 major water projects are hoped to be completed this year including Drawat Dam, Rainee Canal, Shadi Kaur Dam etc.

Major allocations include Rs4bn for construction of break waters, Rs300 million for capital dredging of berthing areas and channel for additional terminal for China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), Rs500m for infrastructure development of export-processing zone at Gwadar, Rs3bn for Gwadar fresh water treatment and water supply.

The government has earmarked Rs112.2bn for power sector and planned to add 14,400MW to the national grid by 2017-18. It also hopes to fetch 10,400MW under CPEC project by the year 2018.

Besides more than 4,000MW thermal projects would be initiated in public-sector including 425MW Power Project Nandipur; 1,320MW Coal-fired Power Plant Jamshoro; 2,400MW LNG-based Power Plants at Haveli Bahadur Shah and Balloki.

HIGHWAYS: National Highway Authority (NHA) was allocated Rs159.6bn against this year’s Rs111.5bn, an increase of around Rs48bn (43pc).

Of the allocated amount, Rs14.6bn was earmarked for on-going projects and Rs86.8bn for other new projects and Rs58.1bn under new initiatives of CPEC.

RAILWAYS: Another major chunk of Rs40bn was allocated for railways but the increase is nominal when compared to this year’s Rs39.6bn allocation.

The railways authorities claimed that the work would continue on projects of rehabilitation and doubling of track, procurement and manufacturing of locomotives, passenger coaches.

PORTS AND SHIPPING: Allocation of Rs12bn was made for this sector from this year’s Rs2.576bn, a significant increase of around 366pc.

Additional allocation of Rs9.3bn has been made in this sector for CPEC projects.

PM YOUTH LOAN PROGRAMME: The programme attracted a sum of Rs20bn against this year’s allocation of Rs7bn.

HIGHER EDUCATION COMMISSION: The government earmarked Rs20.5bn for 191 development projects of different universities for research development, infrastructure development, programmes, scholarships programmes, establishing of new varsities etc.

PAKISTAN ATOMIC ENERGY COMMISSION: The commission was allocated an amount of Rs30bn from this year’s Rs42bn, a decline of 28.57pc.