Punjab Govt gave best budget amid COVID-19 : Hashim Jawan Bakhat

Lahore : Punjab Finance Minister Hashim Jawan Bakhat Tuesday said that country was passing through a critical period following the covid-19 pandemic and the provincial government given the best budget in the current scenario by focusing towards the areas hit by the coronavirus and protecting the economy and vulnerable groups.

The Punjab government did not compromise on the development portfolio despite witnessing reduction in the revenue while Public Private Partnership Authority was established for implementation of the PPP projects. The southern loop of the Lahore Ring Road will be completed under PPP project with Rs 10 billion amount in the fiscal year 2020-21while the PPP projects were given a five year tax holidays as well. 

Addressing the Post Budget Press Conference here at 90 Shahrah-e-Quaid-Azam along with Chairman Planning and Development Hamid Yaqoob Sheih, and Secretary Finance Abdullah Sumbal, he said the government given Rs 56 billion tax relief package in the budget, besides given priority to construction sector to boost 16 attached industries with it. 

The minister announced that a new project Paradigm was introduced in the budget with the name Grow Punjab and Rs 106 billion package allocated to cope up with covid-19 under this head. The project will helpful in improving the health sector, besides controlling of the covid-19. The government will review the expenditure on monthly basis due to covid-19 pandemic while all the recommendations would be considered the additional expenditures to control the covid-19 pandemic. He said the government did not launch the new projects for the sake of making the budget speech attracting rather to focus to complete last year announced 6 universities and 9 hospitals. So the government has made substantial increase in health and education budget.  

Hashim Jawwan said that the government also introduced small projects of the community development including the tree plantation, roads and canals linings and others in order to create employment opportunities for lower segment of the society. He said the Punjab government likewise the federal government also lowers down the revenue generation targets while the scope of the foreign funded and assisted projects was increased to meet the gap. Further, expanding the taxpayer base was focused in the budget. 

On a question, the minister said the government allocated Rs 9 billion for the Orange Line Metro Train (OLMT) project, out of which Rs 4 billion allocated for subsidy and 4.5 billion for the payment of mark-up of the project loan. The minister stressed the OLMT a white elephant for which government will need billion of rupees subsidy every year.