Most dependent on federal aid, the region’s own non-tax revenue is estimated at Rs6.08b
GILGIT:
Adviser to the Finance Minister Muhammad Ali Akhtar presented a three-month interim budget for the financial year 2026-27 in the Gilgit-Baltistan Assembly on Monday and said the government opted for an interim budget instead of a full-year financial plan.
Presenting the budget, Akhtar said the interim arrangement aims to ensure uninterrupted functioning of government departments, continuation of public services and timely payment of salaries and allowances to government employees. He said negotiations are ongoing with the federal government on resource allocation and wheat subsidies.
According to the budget documents, the total estimated resources available to GB during FY2026-27 is Rs 158.54 billion, an increase of about Rs 12.23 billion over the previous financial year.
Much of the budget depends on federal aid, including a non-development grant of Rs88 billion, while the region’s own non-tax revenue is estimated at around Rs6.08 billion.
The adviser said approval had been sought for Rs20.478 billion to meet expenditure during the first quarter of the financial year, while Rs15.225 billion had been earmarked to pay salaries and allowances to government employees.
He said that Rs15 billion had been allocated for wheat subsidies to ensure the continued supply of subsidized wheat to the people, while wheat sales were expected to generate Rs3 billion in revenue. Efforts are also being made to secure additional financial support from the federal government for the grant.
Akhtar said the interim budget proposed an additional allocation of Rs300 million to the Health Endowment Fund to facilitate the treatment of deserving patients. It also earmarked Rs25 million for tuberculosis eradication during the first quarter and Rs100 million for procurement of new ambulances.
He said Rs 138 million had been allocated to the GB Waste Management Company and Rs 202 million to local public institutions to improve sanitation and municipal services across the region.
The adviser said Rs100 million had been proposed as the government’s contribution under the new pension policy, Rs200 million for group insurance and Rs250 million as seed money for the General Provident Fund.
