PML-N hikes defence spending in new budget

The PML-N government Wednesday increased the defence allocation in its budget for fiscal 2013-14 to 627 billion rupees (around 6.32 billion US dollars), making nearly 15 per cent hike over the outlay for the current fiscal, which ends on June 30th.

The allocation for the three defence services amounted to 15.73 per cent of the federal budget of Rs 3.985 trillion for fiscal 2013-14. The powerful army got main share of the outlay with Rs 301.54 billion.

The air force was allocated Rs 131.18 billion while the outlay for the navy was Rs 62.80 billion. Further details, including allocations for weapons acquisition programmes, were not immediately available.

Official budget documents presented in parliament said a sum of Rs 627 billion had been allocated for the defence services for 2013-14, compared with Rs 545 billion (about 5.82 billion dollars) provided in the fiscal year ending on June 30.

The budget documents further showed that the new PML-N government had allocated Rs. 2300 million for the Defence Production Division in the Public Sector Development Programme for 2013-14.

Of this amount, Rs 2246.300 million has been allocated for installing a ship lift, transfer system and associated machinery and equipment to provide docking and repair facilities for surface ships, submarines and commercial vessels at Karachi port.

The government also earmarked Rs 3545.457 million for the projects of the Defence Division in the Public Sector Development Programme for 2013-14.  According to the budget documents, Rs 3423.067 was allocated for ongoing schemes while Rs 122.390 was allocated for new schemes.

Among ongoing schemes, Rs 2447.600 million was allocated for a complex of the National Electronics Complex of Pakistan in Islamabad while Rs 800 million was allocated for the new Gwadar International Airport.

The government also allocated Rs 52,300 million for ongoing and new projects of the Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission in the Public Sector Development Programme. Out of this amount, Rs 26,138.00 million is the “foreign component” while Rs 26,162.000 million is in local currency, budget documents said.

Rs 45,352.40 million was earmarked for various ongoing projects of PAEC and Rs 76.163 million for upgrading the infrastructure of KINOPE in Karachi. Rs 377 million was allocated for the MPB-2 Shanawa uranium mining project in Karak and Rs 300 million for MPS-3 Taussa-2 uranium mining project in Dera Ghazi Khan.

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Posted by Tahir Khan on Jun 12 2013. Filed under Latest News, National, Pakistan. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.