BUDGET 2020-21: No new tax in Rs139.5bn AJK budget.

Byline: Tariq Naqash

MUZAFFARABAD -- With a record outlay of Rs139.5 billion, the annual budget of Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) for the fiscal year 2020-21 proposes Rs115bn for recurring expenditures and Rs24.5bn for developmental activities.

Finance Minister Dr Najeeb Naqi, who presented the budget in the AJK Legislative Assembly here on Thursday, claimed that it 'reflected and represented the priorities of government and the aspirations of people'.

Unlike last year, when Mr Naqi's budget speech was marred by unrelenting protest and commotion by the opposition, Thursday's session remained peaceful by and large, after two out of four opposition lawmakers staged a walkout for not being allowed to speak on a point of order.

However, their remaining two colleagues did not leave and attended the entire session, without disturbance. The strength of the combined opposition in the 49-member house is 12.

Rs115bn set aside for recurring expenditures, Rs24.5bn for development activities; revenue generation target set at Rs119.61bn

On the treasury benches, there were hardly 23 lawmakers, including Prime Minister Raja Farooq Haider. Senior minister Chaudhry Tariq Farooq, opposition leader Chaudhry Mohammad Yasin and former premiers Chaudhry Abdul Majeed, Sardar Attique Ahmed Khan and Barrister Sultan Mahmood were among the prominent absentees.

The finance minister told the house that the government of Pakistan had allocated Rs24.5bn for AJK's annual development programme (ADP) for the next fiscal year, including a foreign aid of Rs2.5bn. Additionally, the federal government had included a Rs3.64bn scheme in its Public Sector Development Programme for rehabilitation of the population affected by the Indian shelling along the Line of Control, he said, adding that the Centre had also provided Rs2.924bn to the Kashmir affairs ministry for its ongoing projects in AJK.

Mr Naqi said 72 per cent of the ADP funds had been earmarked for timely completion of 199 ongoing projects in the next fiscal year, while the remaining 28pc reserved for 190 new initiatives. The infrastructure development sector will get 72pc funds, while productive and social sectors will receive 19pc and 9pc, respectively, he added.

Giving details of department-wise allocations, the finance minister said the highest allocation of Rs10.2bn had been proposed for communications and works (C and W), followed by Rs2.795bn for local government and rural development (LG and RD), Rs2.578bn for...