Latest news with #MuzammilAslam
Business Recorder
02-06-2025
- Politics
- Business Recorder
Enrolled in govt schools: KP CM decides to provide furniture to students
PESHAWAR: Chief Minister Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Ali Amin Khan Gandapur has decided that students enrolled in government schools will be provided with furniture under the ongoing educational emergency. He directed the concerned authorities to ensure that the provision of furniture to every government school is completed during the next fiscal year adding that no students in public sector should sit on floor owing to unavailability of furniture. The Chief Minister issued these directives while chairing a meeting here on Sunday to finalize the Annual Development Programme of the upcoming financial year. The meeting was attended by Advisor to the Chief Minister on Finance, Muzammil Aslam, and Chief Secretary Shahab Ali Shah, Additional Chief Secretary for Planning and Development Ikramullah Khan, and administrative secretaries of relevant departments. He further stated that all required funds for the provision of school furniture will be made available on a priority basis. Highlighting the government's commitment to improving basic facilities, the Chief Minister emphasized that access to proper furniture, functional washrooms, and clean drinking water in government schools is a top priority and that there will be no compromise on these essentials. The Chief Minister has also instructed that a special program be launched to improve the quality of education in government schools further directing that modern training be provided to teachers and that such training be made mandatory for all newly recruited educators. During the meeting, detailed discussions were held on development proposals submitted by various departments, including Planning, Communications, Local Government, Education, Health, Irrigation, and Water Supply. Each proposed project was individually reviewed and finalized for inclusion in the upcoming development program. Speaking to the participants, the Chief Minister said the new ADP will be a visionary document, laying the foundation for the province's development agenda over the next four years. The plan will incorporate input from elected public representatives and prioritize projects based on the actual needs of communities across different regions. He added that the ADP would include solid and practical projects serving broad public interests, with the majority of next year's development funds allocated to completing ongoing projects. Projects with over 80% progress will be completed within the next year, while approximately 50% of other ongoing projects are also expected to reach completion in the same period. The Chief Minister stressed that the new ADP will be realistic and aligned with the genuine needs of the public. 'We will not pursue superficial progress while leaving essential needs behind,' he said. 'We will ensure the wise and effective use of taxpayers' money.' Declaring that 'every constituency in the province is my constituency,' the Chief Minister pledged there would be no discrimination in the allocation of development projects. He assured that special attention would be given to uplifting underdeveloped regions. Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
Business Recorder
26-05-2025
- Business
- Business Recorder
Budget 2025-26: Traders for elimination of double taxation, cut in ST rate on services
PESHAWAR: Traders through various proposals for the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa fiscal budget for 2025-26, has urged the provincial government to abolish double taxation, especially property tax, easing process of KPRA audit, reduction in ratio of Sale Tax on Services, bringing reforms in trade and business-related institutions, and complete abolishment of provincial Infrastructure Development Cess on export, curtailing tax/fees of property registry and elimination of anti-business actions and make legislation, reforms through appropriate amendment and to present a business-friendly budget. Business community asserted deletion of harsh coercive provisions in the law governing business and industry in the provincial fiscal budget 2025-26, while emphasising on provision of subsidised SME financing through Bank of the Khyber, taking serious note over advance to deposit ratio 0.9 percent advance against 16 percent provincial deposit, besides made demand for pragmatic steps for ease of doing business, gas supply on priority basis to industrial consumers as per granted by the Constitution. Traders called for maximized provincial hydel power utilisation through early execution of transmission lines and adding 80-85 megawatt electricity into the grid station, besides proactive measures for maintenance of law and order and reduction of the heavy burden of various provincial taxes, war-footing initiatives for completion of the northern bypass and Ring Road, underpasses on identified locations in the city. SCCI presents budget proposals for FY 2025-26 Business community wanted immediate withdrawal, recently introduced by the provincial government Godown Act 2025. Legislation for institutionalising provincial department-based on the Dispute Resolution Council mechanism with representation of all relevant departments, stakeholders and business community in the forum should be carried out, traders demanded. It has been asked by the provincial government to incorporate SCCI proposals in the upcoming provincial budget 2025-26. These budget proposals presented during a joint meeting with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Minister on Excise and Taxation Khaleequr Rehman, KP Minister for Revenue Nazeer Advisor to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government on Finance Muzammil Aslam, SACM on industries Abdul Karim Khan here at the Sarhad Chamber of Commerce and Industry, which chaired by SCCI president Fazal Moqeem Khan. Office-bearers of the chamber, traders, industrialists and importers and exporters were present in a large number. Later, the provincial ministers and advisors of the KP government agreed with proposals and assured the SCCI and stakeholders to make appropriate amendments in harsh laws, policies as per constitution limits and also incorporate the business community proposals in the upcoming provincial budget 2025-26. Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
Express Tribune
30-04-2025
- Business
- Express Tribune
Centre decides to constitute new NFC
Listen to article The federal government has decided to constitute the 11th National Finance Commission to finalise a new formula for distribution of resources, as the finance ministry disclosed on Tuesday that it spent Rs638 billion on subjects which, under the Constitution, are provincial matters. The Rs638 billion spending in four provinces, Islamabad territory and special areas is exclusive of any development spending, indicating that a huge chunk of federal money is still pouring into provinces without any legal obligation. For the first time, the Ministry of Finance made public a write-up covering current expenditures of the federal government on health, education and social protection subjects ahead of notifying the new commission. The ministry said that these subjects stand devolved to the provinces with the enactment in April 2010 of the 18th Amendment. The amendment transferred several subjects from the federal legislative list to the provincial domain, effectively decentralising power and responsibility, and allowing provinces greater financial and legislative autonomy, it added. The report revealed that the federal government spent a total of Rs638 billion in four provinces, special areas and Islamabad district in the last fiscal year on health, education and social protection. The amount was Rs36 billion higher than the preceding year, showed the report. The spending on the development projects were in addition to Rs638 billion, which the finance ministry did not disclose. Meanwhile, during the April 28th meeting of the Council of Common Interests, the federal government informed the four provinces that it was in the process of establishing the 11th National Finance Commission to finalise the 8th award. It has already written letters to the provinces and sought their nominations for technical members. Sindh has again nominated Dr Asad Sayeed as its technical member while the Sindh finance minister will be the other constitutionally-nominated member on the Commission. Under the Constitution, every government can have two representativesone finance minister and one technical member. The commission is set up for a period of five year and the 10th Commission is going to meet its term on July 23rd without finalizing the 8th award. The last award was finalised in 2010, which expired in 2015. Since then, the President of Pakistan has been extending the last consensus award every year on an ad-hoc basis. The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government pressed the federal government in the CCI to call the meeting of the 10th commission and announce an interim award, said Muzammil Aslam, the K-P's Finance Adviser to the Chief Minister while talking to The Express Tribune. He said that the K-P government has not yet nominated its technical member for the 11th Commission due to the reason that it wanted the meeting of the 10th Commission before the budget to get its due share on account of net hydel profit and merged districts. The finance ministry report has revealed how the federal government has been spending in provinces in areas which under the constitution are provincial subjects. Under the 7th award, the provinces get 57.5% of the resources and yet the federal government has been spending money in provinces despite scarcity of resources. The government and four provinces signed a weak National Fiscal Pact last year under the IMF guidelines, which does not have legal cover. Social Protection In the last fiscal year, the federal government spent Rs466 billion on social protection, including Rs350 billion that was spent in four provinces, according to the Finance Ministry. The federal government disbursed Rs169 billion in Punjab under the BISP, Rs96 billion in Sindh, Rs67 billion in KP and Rs18 billion in Balochistan, according to the report. In addition to that it also 7.4 billion through Pakistan Bait-ul-Mal, an autonomous body contributing to poverty alleviation, said the Finance Ministry. Health In the health sector, Rs45 billion were spent in the last fiscal year on current programmes. These included Rs12 billion spent on employees, another Rs12 billion on operations and Rs21.3 billion on Expanded Programme on Immunization. The Finance Ministry said that the Expanded Program on Immunization (EPI was running since 1978 to protect children against vaccine preventable diseases. However, the virus spread could not be controlled since then. Rs11.2 billion were spent in Punjab under the EPI, Rs5.1 billion in Sindh, Rs1.2 billion in KP and Rs3.5 billion in Balochistan. Some of the health expenditures were related to Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT). An amount of Rs5.2 billion was spent on Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) and Rs4 billion on the Federal Government Polyclinic (FGPC). The expenditure of the Federal Government on health also covers the National Institutes of Health (NIH), an institution involved in multi-disciplinary public health related activities like diagnostic services, research and production of vaccines as well as the National Institute of Rehabilitation Medicine (NIRM) which serves people with special abilities Budgetary allocation is also made for the Federal Government run Shaikh Zayed Hospital, Lahore, a hospital gifted for the people of Pakistan in 1973 by the then president of the UAE, Shaikh Zayed bin Sultan Al-Nahyan. The federal government spent Rs4.9 billion on Shaikh Zayed hospital. The funds were also allocated for the administrative costs of the Ministry of National Health Services, Regulations and Coordination. The actual expenditure of the ministry was Rs3.7 billion in the last fiscal year. Education The Finance Ministry stated that Rs114 billion were spent on education in the last fiscal year, majority of it in the provinces. The largest chunk of the federal government expenditure on the subject of education is earmarked for higher education and is disbursed to the Higher Education Commission (HEC) in the form of grants. An analysis of this expenditure highlights that in fiscal year 2023-24 around 16% of funds were disbursed by HEC to universities and institutes in ICT, AJK and Gilgit Baltistan while the remaining funds were allocated for universities in provinces, said the Finance Ministry. Punjab related federal education spending amounted to Rs31 billion, in Sindh it was Rs15 billion, Rs11.6 billion was spent in KP and Rs3.7 billion on education in Balochistan. The Finance Ministry said that the funds were also kept for the Action to Strengthen Performance for Inclusive and Responsive Education (ASPIRE) Program of the World Bank and Rs8.6 billion was spent under this head in the last fiscal year.
Express Tribune
14-03-2025
- Business
- Express Tribune
K-P launches integrated IT portal
Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa has achieved a significant milestone with the launch of an Integrated IT Portal for public sector entities, aimed at ensuring strict financial discipline, transparency in the utilization of public funds, and improved public service delivery. Developed with technical support from the FCDO-funded Sub-National Governance (SNG) Programme, the Integrated IT Portal is set to revolutionize financial oversight and governance across 181 public sector entities (PSEs) in K-P. This centralized platform features real-time financial and operational Key Performance Indicators (KPIs), interactive dashboards, and automated reporting mechanisms. It empowers the Corporate Governance Unit (CGU) of the Finance Department to monitor, manage, and enforce fiscal discipline effectively. The formal launch of the portal took place in Peshawar, with Chief Minister Ali Amin Khan Gandapur as the chief guest. The event was attended by Advisor to the Chief Minister on Finance, Muzammil Aslam, senior government officials, and representatives from partner organizations. Currently, the K-P government oversees 183 public sector entities, including autonomous and semi-autonomous bodies, universities, teaching hospitals, municipal service delivery units, and other public organizations. This new portal enhances financial oversight and operational efficiency across these entities, making K-P the first province in Pakistan to implement such a system. With its launch, the use of the IT portal is now mandatory for all public sector entities in the province. The system offers advanced financial performance indicators, interactive dashboards, and an automated reporting mechanism to facilitate better decision-making, monitoring, and governance. During the event, the first-ever Service Delivery Performance Monitoring Report was also presented. Initially piloted in three departments, the report has now been extended to all government departments and subordinate entities.
Express Tribune
28-01-2025
- Business
- Express Tribune
K-P registers 49% increase in revenue
PESHAWAR: Advisor to the Chief Minister Muzzammil Aslam has said that the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa government has achieved a 49 per cent increase in revenue collection compared to the previous financial year. In the first half of the current financial year, the provincial government collected Rs42,397 million in tax and non-tax revenue, up from Rs28,435 million during the same period last year. Muzammil Aslam chaired a high level meeting at the Finance Department to discuss tax and non-tax revenue of all departments of the government. He said that the government had set a target of collecting Rs93,500 million in revenue.
