The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa budget for the fiscal year 2024-25 will be presented in the provincial assembly today.
According to finance department sources, the total budget size exceeds 1600 billion rupees. The province's expenditures are projected to be 1654 billion rupees, with 259 billion rupees earmarked for development works.
This marks the first time in Pakistan's history that a provincial government has presented its budget before the federal government.
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Sources indicate a proposed 15% increase in the salaries of government employees. The health department is allocated over 70 billion rupees, with more than 28 billion rupees set aside for the health card program.
The budget includes a subsidy fund of up to 2.5 billion rupees for the Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) system. Instead of imposing new taxes, the existing tax framework has been modified.
Finance department sources also mention a proposed increase of 5 to 10 rupees per stop in BRT fares. Notably, 90% of the funds are allocated for ongoing projects rather than new ones.
Additionally, there are proposals to reduce taxes on land transfers from 6% to 3% and to lower excise duties on companies purchasing t