Peshawar
Chief Minister Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Ali Amin Khan Gandapur, has said that the provinces own revenue currently stands at Rs 125 billion. Incumbent provincial government, through excellent financial discipline and effective monitoring, has not only prevented the wastage of existing resources within the system but also established a Debt Management Fund aimed at reducing the provinceís liabilities. “An investment of Rs 150 billion was made into this fund during the current fiscal year, and an additional Rs 150 billion will be contributed in the upcoming financial year, generating substantial profit for the province”, he added.
The Chief Minister made these remarks during a meeting with a delegation of the Council of Pakistan Newspaper Editors (CPNE) led by it’s newly elected President Mr. Kazim Khan, who called on him in Islamabad.
Speaking about the provinces Annual Development Programme (ADP), the Chief Minister highlighted that the program previously had a through forward liability of over 13 years, which has now been reduced to four years. “Due to a lack of proper planning over the past 15 years, delays in project completions had caused an additional cost burden of Rs 450 billion. However, this government focused on completing ongoing projects instead of initiating new ones during the current fiscal year and completed 541 development projects within one year”, he remarked.
Ali Amin Gandapur added that a balanced and comprehensive budget has been presented for the next fiscal year, adding that the new development program will serve as a foundation for the provinces development over the next three years, and all included projects will be completed within this timeframe. Similarly he said that a sum of Rs 195 billion has been allocated for the Provincial Annual Development Programme (ADP) for the next fiscal year, with a target to increase it to Rs 250 billion. In the current fiscal year, Rs 120 billion was allocated and fully released, while an additional Rs 35 billion was provided under the ADP Plus initiative, he said.
The CPNE delegation congratulated the Chief Minister for presenting a surplus budget. Discussions during the meeting also included challenges faced by local newspapers, payment of outstanding advertisement dues, and the performance of the current provincial government.
The Chief Minister acknowledged CPNEís vital role in promoting press freedom and the growth of the newspaper industry in Pakistan. He assured that outstanding advertisement payments to newspapers would be addressed on a priority basis. He reaffirmed his belief in press freedom, in line with Imran Khanís vision, and emphasized that newspapers continue to hold significance even in today’s digital media era.
Reviewing the governments performance over the past 15 months, the Chief Minister stated that liabilities worth Rs 72 billion across various institutions including public universities were cleared. At the time of taking office, there were Rs 17 billion in unpaid dues under the Sehat Card program, Rs 35 billion had been withdrawn from the Pension Fund, and the treasury had funds for only 18 days of salaries.
The Chief Minister said the Sehat Card was revived and expanded to include expensive treatments such as liver, kidney, and bone marrow transplants, and cochlear implants. Efficient monitoring of the Sehat Card has led to annual savings of Rs 13 billion. Previously, 25% of treatments under the program were conducted at public hospitals and 75% at private ones. Following improvements in public hospitals and provision of essential equipment, 71% of treatments now take place at public hospitals, said the Chief Minister.
Ali Amin Khan Gandapur further shared that better financial discipline and monitoring helped recover Rs 250 billion in additional revenue that previously existed in the system but was being wasted. Discussing welfare initiatives, he noted that Rs 20 billion were distributed to deserving families in the form of Ramzan and Eid packages. Apart from this the dowry fund, previously set at Rs 25,000, has now been increased to Rs 250,000, he said.
Discussing reforms in the mining sector, he mentioned that annual royalty income has increased from Rs 5.5 billion to Rs 12 billion, and in the upcoming fiscal year, royalties from the cement industry are expected to rise from Rs 2.5 billion to Rs 7.75 billion. Over the last 15 months, the province has witnessed a 50% increase in both tax and non-tax revenues, he concluded.
In response to a question, the Chief Minister confirmed that the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government has fully met all IMF targets. For industrial development, locally generated electricity will be provided to industries at subsidized rates, and work is underway on the provinces own power transmission line. Over the next three years, the provincial government will complete 500 megawatts of hydropower projects.
To strengthen the energy sector, 132,000 deserving households will receive solar systems either free of cost or at subsidized rates.
Responding to another question, the Chief Minister stated that Imran Khan is a political prisoner, and the party will continue its political campaign for his release. Workers are being mobilized for a major political movement, including holding rallies at the local level. He emphasized that Imran Khan’s narrative has gained public popularity and cannot be erased.
PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan, Central Secretary for Information Sheikh Waqas Akram, and Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly Omar Ayub were also present on the occasion.
Other members of the CPNE delegation included Mian Hasan Ahmed, Ghulam Nabi Chandio, Ayaz Khan, Ijazul Haq, Tanveer Shaukat, Zia Tanoli, Adnan Zafar, Tahir Farooq, Masood Khan, Shahid Hameed, Mumtaz Bangash, Fazal Haq, Yahya Khan, Rafi Niazi, and Mumtaz Sadiq.
