Muzaffarabad:(Parliament Times) The historical budget of 2018-19 presented by PML-N government would lay a foundation to change the fate of Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK), says Finance minister Dr. Muhammad Najib Naqi.
Addressing a post-budget press conference at Media Center of AJK public Relations Department on Tuesday, he said that AJK government has achieved financial independence which is a quantum leap towards progress and prosperity of the liberated area.
About priorities set in the budget proposals, the minister said government intends to promote tourism industry by developing basic infrastructure in Azad Kashmir and that was the basic reason to allocate huge amount for construction of new roads and maintenance of existing roads.
The tourism, he claimed is a sector that could completely eradicate the poverty in Azad Kashmir by absorbing a big chunk of the population jobs and boosting the tourism related businesses.
The finance minister said that an hefty amount of 130 million has been allocated for provision of health and education facilities to the people living along the line of control. He said that the effected population at LOC would also be provided ambulance services, water and other facilities. He said that AJK government has evolved a comprehensive policy to address the unemployment in the state and disclosed that government will provide interest free loans to the educated youth. The employment scheme would be implemented in collaboration with Akhuwat Foundation AJK TEVTA, Agriculture and Livestock Departments.
Descring budget 2018-19 as biggest budget in terms of its volume, the finance minister said that 82.7 billion have been allocated for the recurrent expenditure while 25.5 have been set aside for the developmental expenditure. There is a 14.6 percent increase in the budget for the next fiscal year as compare to the budget of outgoing year.
The minister said that there would be 10 percent increase in the salaries of the government employees besides 50 percent increase in their house rent. The finance minister further said that after amendment in the financial arrangements 1992 the AJK would get 3.64 percent share in the federal taxes instead of 2.27 percent.
The finance minister further said that AJK government is spending an additional amount Rs1 billion on the salaries of around 4000 lady health workers of population welfare program. Initially launched by federal government, program was later suspended by federal government but AJK government continued the program to improve the service delivery to the people of AJK.
He said that Rs 500 million have been allocated to hold local bodies election in next year. The minister said that the government also allocated Rs 300 million to be given to 3 medical colleges of AJK as grant in aid. The government also increases almost 100 percent annual grant to the Muzaffarabad Physical Rehabilitation Center for the treatment of disabled persons.
