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Pakistan Spent Just 7.6% of Rs1 Trillion Development Budget in Four Months

Tight IMF-monitored fiscal controls kept disbursements constrained.

Overview

  • Official data show only about Rs76 billion was utilised in July–October against Rs1 trillion budgeted, despite Rs330.431 billion authorised for the period.
  • The Finance Division set a phased release path of 15% in Q1, 20% in Q2, 25% in Q3 and 40% in Q4, and Planning shifted to quarter-wide one-liner authorisations delegating project-level releases to line ministries.
  • Several federal ministries posted zero utilisation, including Commerce, Establishment, Parliamentary Affairs, Petroleum and Religious Affairs.
  • Corporatised entities lagged badly, with NHA spending Rs20.17 billion and NTDC/PEPCO just Rs1.87 billion, as corporations overall used Rs22.04 billion versus Rs111.21 billion authorised.
  • Provinces and special areas led with Rs16.49 billion in utilisation and Water Resources followed at Rs13.56 billion, while the government restrained outlays to meet IMF-linked fiscal targets supported by a rare first-quarter surplus.