Pakistan’s Development Spending Hits Rs 529bn in 11 Months

The Ministry of Planning and Development has released details of the expenditure incurred under the Public Sector Development Program (PSDP) during the first 11 months (July to May) of the current fiscal year, according to which a total of Rs 529 billion 81 crore was spent.

According to official data, this amount has been used on projects of various federal ministries, provincial governments and development agencies. The main objective of PSDP is to promote the development of infrastructure, education, health, energy and other social sectors in the country.

According to the details, the highest amount of Rs 391 billion was spent on development projects of federal ministries, which were invested in various national-level projects. These include schemes related to infrastructure and service delivery.

Rs 4.4 billion 20 crore was spent on development projects of members of parliament under the Cabinet Division. These funds are used to meet development needs at the local level.

Rs 138.8 billion was spent on projects of the National Highway Authority and other corporations, which are related to the improvement of roads, bridges and transport networks across the country.

Rs 153.86 billion was released for projects of provincial and special areas, which reflect the development cooperation between the federation and the provinces.

In the education sector, Rs 27.78 billion was spent on projects of the Higher Education Commission, while Rs 69.88 billion was used on water resources projects, which aim to improve water management and agricultural needs.

Rs 4.79 billion was spent on defense development projects and Rs 804.1 million on projects related to defense production.

According to experts, this detail of PSDP expenditure is important for policymakers as it can be assessed where development priorities are focused and in which areas further improvement is needed.

The Ministry of Planning has said that the monitoring system is being further strengthened to ensure the effective use of funds on development projects.