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Balochistan budget further beefed up by Rs 10,041 million

LAILA A ALI

QUETTA: The Balochistan budget for the financial year 1999-2000 has been further beefed up by total receipts of Rs 10,041.708 million transferred from Islamabad to Quetta from July '99 to January 2000, against the total monthly projection of Rs 10,740.120 million for the same period, slashing shortfall to Rs 698.412 million in seven months time of the current financial year.

According to official statistics available here on Wednesday, monthly federal transfers to Balochistan have been enhanced after the induction of the present government in Islamabad in October 1999, under all the three main heads: divisible pool (shared taxes) straight transfers (excise duty, royalty on gas, surcharge on gas), grants/loans/subvention, federal grant for octroi/Zila tax, Japanese grant, and SAP/non-SAP loan.

Statistics show that under divisible pool, Balochistan has received the actual amount of Rs 3,410.455 million, under straight transfers, Rs 3,096.24 million and under grants/loans Rs 3,535.012 million, in a short span of seven months. During the same period from July '99 to January 2000, under divisible pool, the total monthly projection was estimated at Rs 3,851.500 million, under straight transfers, at Rs 3,273.793 million and under grants/loans, at Rs 3,614.827 million.

There is, however, still a shortfall of Rs 441.045 million under the head of divisible pool, Rs 177.552 million under straight transfers and Rs 79.815 million under grants/loans, this raises the total shortfall to Rs 698.412 million in monthly federal transfers to Quetta from Islamabad July '99 to January 2000.

Official sources are optimistic that this shortfall of Rs 698.412 million would either be totally erased or reduced to minimum in the remaining five months of the current financial year '99-2000 as promised by the present federal government.

Sources further said that out of total receipts of Rs 10,041.708 million, the Balochistan government has received a net receipt of Rs 8,051.013 million against the total monthly projection of Rs 8,749.425 million from July '99 to January 2000, because of the total deduction of Rs 1,990.695 million due to debt-servicing.