Punjab hikes salaries pensions
LAHORE: The Punjab government in its budget 2025-26 proposed a 10-per cent increase in the salaries of government employees and a 5-per cent hike in pensions of retired employees.
The 10pc salary increase will apply to all provincial government employees, while retired public servants will receive a 5% increment in their monthly pensions.
The increases are part of the Rs2,706.5 billion non-development expenditure allocation, which also includes funding for salaries, pensions, and administrative costs.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
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The government had awarded laptops to 40,000 students of universities and colleges through the Chief Minister Punjab Laptop Scheme initiated with Rs27 billion and Rs10 billion, respectively. To promote digital education, the government also earmarked Rs15.1 billion for this purpose through which 112,000 students will be given laptops in the coming year. An amount of Rs15 billion was allocated for the Honahar Scholarship Programme wherein efficient and deserving students will be given opportunities of the best education. For the first time, the government has allocated Rs40 billion for renovation of the dilapidated buildings, missing facilities, IT Labs, extra class rooms in government schools through the school management councils under the Punjab Education Initiative Management Authority (PEIMA). Rs35 billion has been earmarked for the provision of education through private participation under Punjab Education Foundation (PEF). With Rs3 billion, a project of establishing the Nawaz Sharif Centre of Excellence for early childhood education is being started in 10 divisions. Eight new government-affiliated colleges for girls are being established in the province with Rs2 billion. For the first time in Punjab's history, that provincial government earmarked Rs25 billion for universities for the promotion of higher education. Rs2billion has been allocated for Mian Nawaz Sharif Engineering and Technology University. Health The government earmarked Rs181 billion for health sector under the head of development in the next fiscal year, which is 131% higher than the current fiscal year. Under the non-development head, the government allocated Rs450 billion for next fiscal year which is 16% of the total non-development expenditures. The government earmarked Rs109 billion for for establishment of Nawaz Sharif Medical District and Land Acquisition. 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