Pak: Govt unable to provide funds due to financial crunch

Islamabad: Due to financial crunch, the government is unable to provide Rs 41.50 billion for over 300 new development projects in next fiscal year, it has been reliably learnt.

Ministries and divisions have demanded of the government to provide about Rs 41.501 billion in Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP) for 2008-09 to undertake new projects with highest requests coming from the Ministry of Water and Power, the Defence Division, Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission and Ports and Shipping Ministry.

These demands are for new schemes the ministries and divisions want to undertake in the next fiscal year apart from the allocations for ongoing projects. The Ministry of Finance and the Planning Commission have differed over the volume of PSDP with former proposing Rs 347 billion while the later thinks at least Rs 490 billion would be required.

Reports suggests that final decision is left with National Economic Council to decide about the PSDP size for the next fiscal year in its meeting to be held on May 30. It is expected that PSDP would be somewhere around Rs 450-Rs 490 billion, a figure lower than last year, the reason being out of budget spending by the previous government.

The Ministry of Water and Power has demanded Rs 10.317 billion to undertake 20 new schemes, followed by Ports and Shipping Rs 7.195 billion for three new schemes and the Defence Division and Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission Rs 6657.701 million and Rs 6599.590 million for 17 and 3 schemes respectively.

Petroleum and Natural Resources Division wants Rs 975 million allocation for three new projects apart from the current share, Communication Division has demanded Rs 1.097 billion for 7 new schemes, Railway Ministry Rs 627 million for 11 new schemes, Finance Division Rs 1.358 billion for 8 new schemes, the Ministry of Education Rs 102.401 million for five new projects and health division Rs 189.086 million for three new projects.

The Ministry of Information Technology demanded Rs 57.200 million for 4 new schemes to be undertaken in the next fiscal year, Science and Technological Research Division wants Rs 96.688 million for 10 schemes, population welfare Rs 133.157 million for 13 schemes and the Ministry of Women Welfare Development Rs 20.554 million for 7 schemes.

Similarly, Rs 502.676 million have been sought by the Ministry of Social Welfare and Special Education for 14 new schemes, the Ministry of Culture Rs 132.305 million for 9 new schemes, Sports Division Rs 323.002 million for 22 new schemes, Tourism Rs 115 million for 8 new schemes, the Ministry of Food Agriculture and Livestock Rs 923.941 million for 21 new schemes, the Ministry of Interior Rs 1.652 billion for 69 new schemes, the Ministry of Industries, Production and Special Initiatives Rs 253.890 million for 8 new schemes, the Ministry of Defence Rs 6.657 billion for 17 new schemes, the Cabinet Division wanted Rs 874.739 million for 4 new schemes, the Commerce Ministry Rs 114.731 million for 2 new scheme, the Ministry of Housing Rs 328.664 million for 17 schemes, the Ministry of Narcotics Control Division Rs 110 million for 2 new schemes, the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting Rs 966.010 million for 15 new scheme, the Establishment Division Rs 296.448 million for 6 new schemes, Law, Justice and Human Rights Division Rs 40 million for one new scheme, the Revenue Division Rs 422.536 million for 15 new schemes, the Textile Ministry Rs 1.1 billion for two new schemes and the Economic Affairs Division Rs 4.749 million for one new scheme.