K-P government saves over Rs111 billion
Figures released by the federal government reveal that K-P received Rs1,031.26 billion in total financial resources over the nine-month period. Of this amount, Rs824.86 billion came from the federal government under the National Finance Commission (NFC) Award.
In addition, the province generated Rs46.20 billion through its own tax revenues and Rs40.17 billion from non-tax sources.
The federal government also provided Rs120 billion in loans and grants, including Rs38.58 billion in loans, Rs54.99 billion in current grants, and Rs26.43 billion in development grants.
During this period, the K-P government spent a total of Rs919.95 billion. Of this, Rs759.56 billion was allocated to current expenditures, while Rs13.75 billion was paid to the federal government for debt servicing (markup payments).
Furthermore, the federal government spent Rs147 billion on development projects in K-P under the Public Sector Development Program (PSDP).
Meanwhile, Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur has taken serious notice of alleged irregularities in the recent screening test for school teacher recruitment conducted by the Educational Testing and Evaluation Agency (ETEA). He has directed the Chief Secretary to initiate a high-level inquiry into the matter.
A formal letter from the Chief Minister's Secretariat expressed deep concern over reports of misconduct and a potential paper leak during the test held in Bannu on May 10.
Initial findings revealed that several individuals were apprehended at a private guesthouse while the exam was still in progress. They were allegedly found in possession of test papers, bubble sheets, laptops, and scanning machinesraising serious questions about the integrity of the examination process.
The Chief Minister termed the reported irregularities a grave violation of merit and transparency. He instructed that a senior officeror a committee of officersbe appointed to conduct a thorough investigation, identify those responsible, and recommend strict disciplinary action.
"ETEA is currently overseeing teacher recruitment examinations across the province. Any malpractice not only jeopardizes the future of candidates but also erodes public trust in the system," the letter stated.
The Chief Minister further directed that the inquiry should not only address the immediate incident but also assess systemic vulnerabilities within ETEA's operations. Legal and administrative action has been urged against any individuals or institutions found guilty of misconduct or negligence.
Additionally, the Secretary for Elementary and Secondary Education has been instructed to review examination arrangements across all districts, ensure robust monitoring, and improve coordination between local administrations and ETEA staff.
A comprehensive report on the incident has been demanded within 15 days.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Business Recorder
17 hours ago
- Business Recorder
KPRA collects Rs51.56bn, surpassing target by Rs4.56bn
PESHAWAR: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Revenue Authority (KPRA) has successfully collected Rs 51.56 billion against the target of Rs. 47 billion assigned to it by the provincial government for the financial year 2024-25. Despite the overall economic situation, the Authority has shown a growth of 37% in the fiscal year 2024-25 as compared to the collection of the financial year 2023-24, according to an official statement here on Tuesday. As per the details shared by the KPRA media wing, the Authority has collected Rs40.3 billion from the sales tax on services, and Rs11.26 billion from the Infrastructure Development Cess (IDC). The Authority worked on broadening its tax net and took its registered taxpayers' count to more than 25,100 by the end of this year, which also played a key role in the revenue collection growth. Director General KPRA, Fouzia Iqbal, appreciated the efforts and dedication of the KPRA staff in achieving the revenue targets set for the financial year 2024-25. She expressed gratitude to the Chief Minister Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Ali Amin Gandapur, and Advisor to CM on Finance, Muzzammil Aslam, for their continued guidance and support which played a vital role in KPRA's success. She extended her heartfelt appreciation to the taxpayers of KPRA for their consistent trust and cooperation. 'Our taxpayers are the cornerstone of our revenue system. Their compliance and commitment have made this unprecedented achievement possible,' she said. Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
Express Tribune
a day ago
- Express Tribune
Gas utility says not at fault for dug up roads
An inter-ministerial meeting decided that SSGC should hand over required PSM land to the new LNG terminal developers. PHOTO: rEUTERS The Sui Southern Gas Company (SSGC) has disbursed Rs11.9 billion to the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC) and various Town Municipal Corporations (TMCs) for road-cutting and rehabilitation during a period from July 2024 to June 2025. The gas utility was under fire from political and civic circles for digging up roads for laying pipelines, however, SSGC sources said that the company had made timely disbursment of the mandatory road cutting charges. It was the reposnsiblity of the matropolitan and town corportations to utilise these funds in a justified manner, they said. According to the data, released by the SSGC, the gas utility made the highest payments of Rs3.55 billion to TMC North Karachi and TMC North Nazimabad. TMC Model Colony received the second-highest payment of Rs2.10 billion. Other payments included Rs1 billion to TMC Lyari, Rs7.3 million to TMC Jinnah, and Rs6.2 million to TMC Malir. The data further revealed that TMC Saddar and Chensar each received Rs260 million, while TMC Landhi was paid Rs210 million. The SSGC paid Rs490 million to the KMC for road-cutting and restoration works. The lowest amount of Rs0.227 million was paid to TMC Gulshan. Despite these massive disbursements totaling over Rs11 billion, the roads across Karachi remain in disrepair. Interestingly, SSGC never issued even a single protest letter to any TMC over their failure to restore the roads, nor did its legal department sign any binding agreement before releasing such a huge amount. Sources further disclosed that SSGC did not obtain any formal assurance from TMCs that the roads would be rebuilt after payments. However, due to the public outrage following the recent downpours, SSGC has now initiated the process of drafting protest letters to KMC and the concerned TMCs, questioning why roadworks have not been completed despite receiving the huge payments. SSGC insiders expressed concern, saying, "If the company aggressively protests or takes legal action, it may face complications in acquiring road-cutting permissions in the future from these municipal bodies."
Express Tribune
2 days ago
- Express Tribune
Catering prices surge ahead of Ashura
With the arrival of Muharram and the start of communal food distributions on Ashura, catering and food service providers across Rawalpindi district have significantly raised the prices of traditional large-scale cooked meals known as "degs." In addition to the price hikes, caterers are now requiring customers to pay half the cost in advance when placing orders. Notices have also been posted, announcing that bookings for the 9th and 10th of Muharram will close starting tomorrow. The prices of various popular dishes have risen sharply, with increases ranging from Rs1,000 to 1,500 per order in the open market. Currently, a chicken haleem deg is being sold at Rs10,000, beef haleem at Rs11,400, and mutton haleem at Rs33,000. Chickpea pulao is priced at Rs12,000, chicken pulao at Rs16,000, and vegetable pulao at Rs10,400. Mutton pulao is now Rs35,000. Mixed biryani and chicken biryani are both priced at Rs20,000, while mutton biryani is being sold at Rs33,000. A set of 100 small clay pots of kheer is priced at Rs17,500. Chicken qorma is listed at Rs16,000, and mutton qorma at Rs29,600. Sweet rice (zarda) is selling for Rs9,000, and a set of 100 naan packets is being sold for Rs3,000. Faisal Mufti, Secretary of the Catering Food Association Rawalpindi, explained that the price increase is due to the recent budget, which has driven up the costs of all food ingredients including pulses, rice, spices, meat, poultry, and fuel. He added that Muharram and Eid Miladun Nabi are high-demand seasons for the catering industry, and seasonal price surges are common. Despite the rising costs, he noted that customer demand remains very high. Orders will no longer be taken from the 6th of Muharram onward, and any new requests will only be fulfilled after Ashura.
