Senate panel flags Rs5 trillion unauthorised spending on devolved subjects
A Senate sub-committee in Islamabad claimed on Tuesday that the federal government spent over Rs5 trillion on devolved provincial subjects in violation of the Constitution.
Panel cites Auditor General report
Senator Barrister Zamir Hussain Ghumro chaired the meeting where he presented data from the Auditor General of Pakistan. The federal government spent more than Rs5 trillion on ministries created for Council of Common Interests matters. This expenditure violates Article 154 of the Constitution regarding devolved provincial subjects. The total amount equals roughly USD 18 billion when converted into US currency.
Fiscal deficit and borrowing crisis
The convener stated that federal government expenditure currently stands at around Rs19 trillion against total revenue of Rs20 trillion. This financial gap leaves nothing for the provinces and forces the state to resort to heavy borrowing. Total debt servicing and borrowing now touch USD 135 billion according to the panel head. During the last 15 years, the IMF provided Pakistan USD 15 billion in assistance.
Call for ministry abolition
The sub-committee is calling for the immediate abolition of 24 redundant ministries created on provincial subjects. Senator Ghumro argued that implementing the 18th Amendment would have prevented this unauthorised spending pattern. Had funds been spent on infrastructure and social development, Pakistan would be a different country today. The panel insists taxpayer money has been consigned to unauthorised expenditure instead of public projects.
All 2 outlets report consistently
No differences in figures, names or dates across these reports.
- Dawn
- Business Recorder
Reported by
2 independent outlets. Headlines as published. Links open the original report.