LAHORE: Punjab Finance Minister Makhdoom Hashim Jawan Bakht will present province’s budget for financial year 2021-22 in the Punjab Assembly today (Monday).
“The new provincial budget will be people-friendly and it will facilitate the business community. A special package for industrialists would also be announced in the budget in addition to several welfare projects for people,” said Amber Jabeen, spokesperson for the finance minister and the Punjab Planning and Development (P&D) Department, on Sunday.
Highlighting the salient features of the FY22 budget, the spokesperson said the budget would have “good news” for farmers, labourers and government employees. She added the budget has included programmes for all backward districts, including those of southern Punjab according to the needs of people. It will include training and business opportunities for the youth, housing schemes for the underprivileged and homeless people and mega projects of clean drinking water and commercial infrastructure for Lahore, she said.
“The budget will ensure economic progress with record allocation of funds for development projects. It will ensure health insurance of 100 percent population of the province by December 2021,” she said and added that communication projects will boost economic activities and ease mobility in the province.
Moreover, provision of missing facilities in tehsil and district hospitals, mother and child healthcare hospitals and a cardiac hospital for children will be announced in the budget. Besides this, the Punjab government has planned to establish at least one university in every district of Punjab. In this context, funds have been allocated in the budget for setting up universities in different districts, she maintained.
To encourage middle level education among children in backward areas, up-gradation of primary schools up to elementary level will be ensured and for this purpose, funds have been allocated in the budget, she said, adding that funds for the development of social sector will be increased and “a significant increase in employment opportunities for labourers will be seen”.
Courtesy Business Recorder 2021
