KP cabinet incentivises govt employees in four-month budget
Business
Increases salaries by up to 35pc, pensions by 17.5pc
PESHAWAR (Dunya News) - The caretaker cabinet of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on Tuesday approved the budget for four months of the next financial year.
An increase of 35 per cent in the salaries of government officials from grades 1 to 16 has been approved while 30 per cent raise in salaries of employees from BS-17 to 22 has been announced. Pensioners are given an increase of 17.5pc.
Adviser on Finance Himayatullah Khan said the budget-making was not that easy as the salary of employees from grade 1 to 16 had been raised by 35 per cent and salary of those from BS-17 to 22 were raised by 30pc. Similarly, pensions had been increased by 17.5pc.
The government had not taken any loan and allocated Rs112 billion for the development budget, Khan said, adding that the travel allowance of provincial employees had been increased by 50pc, conveyance allowance of special employees 100pc and the minimum wages from Rs26,000 to 32,000.
As per the finance adviser, the budget includes Rs92.122 billion for the planned districts, Rs43.333 billion for the provincial development programme for the planned districts, Rs8.667 billion for the district ADP, Rs37.131 billion for the planned districts FPA and Rs2.991 billion for the planned districts PSDP.
“The budget is neither surplus nor deficit and the provincial cabinet has also approved the charter of economy,” Khan said, adding that another 25 per cent cut was made in government expenditure, while it was decided to ban new recruitments for the next four months.
“Yes, the purchase of ambulances, fire engines, tractors, motorcycles, recovery vehicles and life-saving boats will not be banned,” the adviser said, explaining that there would be a ban on seminars and workshops abroad on government expenses. Similarly, he said, seminars and workshops would not be held in five-star hotels.
He said there would be no new recruitment on vacant posts. He said efforts would be made to obtain the share of the merged districts in the NFC award while funds would be sought from the federation for the net profit of electricity.
“No department will be able to keep government revenue in its bank account,” Khan said, adding that more than 10pc of the funds allocated for the schemes would be released and priority would be given to the projects near completion in snow-covered areas.
He said 100pc release of funds for purchase of medicines and other essential items would be ensured.
