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ISLAMABAD: Annual expenses of the President’s House and the Prime Minister’s Office have been increased by five to eight per cent negating the government’s claim of adopting austerity in its affairs.
According to the budget announced by Finance Minister Ishaq Dar on Friday, funds for the Presidency had been increased by up to almost eight percent while the Prime Minister’s Office would get five per cent more funds as compared to the current financial year.
The budget of the two offices has been increasing with every passing year.
The estimated expenses of the President House and Prime Minister Office were increased by 3 to 10 per cent for the year 2014-15. The budget of the Prime Minister Office for the year 2014-15 was Rs779 million.
PM Secretariat
In the 2015-16 budget a sum of Rs881.6 million was earmarked for the PMS against Rs842 million allocated for the financial year 2016-17.
This shows a five per cent increase in the total expenditures of the PMS for the next financial year.
The budget document said that Rs599 million had been allocated for employees-related expenses, Rs229 million for their salary, Rs110m for salary of officers, Rs370m for allowances, Rs125m for operating expenses, Rs75m for grants, subsidies and written-off loans.
President House
Similarly, the annual expenditures of the President House have gone up by almost eight per cent as Rs863m has been earmarked in the 2016-17 budget against Rs801m allocated last year.
Under the head of employees-related expenses, a sum of Rs567m has been earmarked.
Of it, Rs105m has been earmarked for salary of staff, Rs82 million for salary of officers, Rs378m for allowances, Rs142m for operating expenses, Rs88m for grants, subsidies and written-off loans, and Rs20m for maintenance.
Published in Dawn, June 4th, 2016
