Punjab govt to present Rs2.1tr budget for next four months, today

The caretaker government of Punjab is scheduled to present its second four-month budget for the fiscal year 2023-24 in front of Chief Minister Mohsin Naqvi's cabinet today.

This comes after the initial four-month budget presented in June, which raised questions due to a lack of information regarding expenditures leading up to the elections. Despite the unusual nature of presenting a second budget, the Punjab government sought legal advice and received approval based on a precedent set in 2008.

The new budget is estimated to be around Rs2.12 trillion, with approximately Rs1.8 trillion allocated for non-development expenses and Rs320 billion for ongoing development projects.

This budget is designed for 120 days, commencing on November 1, with a focus on administrative and operational costs, including salaries of government employees, and no allocation for new development projects as per Election Commission guidelines.