Balochistan Budget: The disillusionment continues

Balochistan has been replete with financial woes from day one. Over the last several years now, and especially since the reports of the country slipping toward default, the financial woes of Balochistan have further compounded to the extent of compelling Chief Minister of Balochistan Abdul Quddoos Bizenjo to boycott the federal budget session and the National Economic Council due to the prevailing economic woes of the province. Despite the challenges, the provincial government of Balochistan presented a Rs750 billion deficit budget for 2023-24 last week, allocating Rs229bn for thousands of development schemes and increasing the pay and pensions of government employees in line with the federal budget. Moreover, the government’s revenues in the next fiscal year are estimated at Rs701bn, leaving a deficit of Rs49bn. The outlay of the non-development budget is Rs437bn, and the public sector development programme outlay is Rs229.3bn.