Govt jacks up parliamentarians SAP funding by Rs5bn

• The amount will be raised to Rs116 billion.
• SAP funding has gone up from Rs70bn in outgoing fiscal year.
• FinMin Dar approves Rs6m to meet shortfall of the budget grant.

ISLAMABAD: Ahead of the budget announcement, the Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) has approved to increase funding for Sustainable Development Goals Achievement Programme (SAP) for parliamentarians by Rs5 billion, The News reported Thursday.

After an increase of Rs5 billion, the amount will be raised to Rs116 billion from the existing Rs111 billion.

It’s ironic that the SAP funding has gone up from Rs70 billion to Rs116 billion in the outgoing fiscal year 2022-23 — ending on June 30. 

For the upcoming budget for 2023-24, the National Economic Council (NEC) approved Rs90 billion for SAP for parliamentarians despite the fact that the tenure of parliament is going to expire on August 12, 2023.

However, officials told the ECC meeting that the SAP programme had so far allocated/surrendered Rs91 billion.

The Steering Committee on SAP, in its 37th meeting, held on May 19, granted approval of the proposal through a majority vote and directed the Cabinet Division to move a summary for an additional Rs5 billion for the current fiscal year. 

The Ministry of Planning, Development and Special Initiatives and Finance Division agreed to provide an amount of Rs5 billion through a supplementary grant from the savings available with them from their relevant demands in favour of the Cabinet Division for the development schemes of deprived areas under SAP during 2022-23. 

According to an official statement, issued after the ECC meeting, Federal Minister for Finance and Revenue Senator Ishaq Dar chaired the meeting and approved the following technical supplementary grants:

• Rs1,000 million in favour of the Ministry of Housing and Works for development schemes in Punjab Province under SAP during 2022-23.
• Rs14,802.32 million in favour of the Ministry of Housing and Works for development schemes of 2022-23.
• Rs1,209.450 million in favour of the Ministry of Housing and Works for the execution of 15 development schemes for 2022-23.
• Rs5 billion in favour of Cabinet Division for SAP CFY 2022-23.
• Rs1,773 million in favour of the Ministry of Energy (Power Division) for the execution of development schemes of Punjab and KP provinces under PSDP during 2022-23.
• Rs3.96 billion in favour of the Ministry of Federal Education and Professional Training under WB Project — Higher Education Development in Pakistan for 2022-23
• Rs130 million in favour of the Ministry of Narcotics Control as a supplementary grant for 20223-23.
• Rs8 million in favour of the Ministry of Narcotics Control for Operational Cost of Anti-Narcotics Force for 2022-23.
• Rs6 million in favour of the Revenue Division to meet the shortfall of the budget grant of 2022-23.