Balochistan unveils Rs1.089tr budget, targets Rs170b in revenue

The government of Balochistan has introduced a Rs1.089 trillion budget for the financial year 2026-27, with a budget amount of Rs206 billion for development and Rs797 billion for non-development purposes.

The budget has been unanimously approved by the provincial cabinet headed by Chief Minister Mir Sarfraz Bugti prior to its presentation in the Balochistan Assembly by Finance Minister Mir Shoaib Nosherwani.

According to the development budget, Rs106 billion have been set aside for the initiation of new projects and Rs100 billion for on-going schemes. Moreover, Balochistan will be receiving Rs45 billion as development projects funded by the federal government and Rs40 billion from foreign sources to meet its development needs.

The government has proposed revenues worth Rs170 billion for Balochistan and projected a budget of Rs771 billion that will be allocated to the province through the NFC Award. According to officials, an improvement in revenue collection has been responsible for an increased amount of funds transferred by the federal government.

One of the main highlights of the budget includes 5,000 new government jobs that will be created under the budget, 3,000 in the field of education, 500 in health sector, 1,000 in newly constituted districts, and 500 jobs in other.

The government will also be introducing the concept of the Treasury Single Account (TSA).

The health department has been allotted Rs96 billion, which includes Rs6 billion for development projects. The allocation towards Balochistan Health Card program has also been raised to Rs6 billion, along with an increase in allocation towards the programs being run by the PPHI and purchasing medicines. Further allocations will be made for trauma centers, nutrition projects, and hospitals.

There are some fresh ideas in the budget, such as allocating Rs3.8 billion for solarizing tube wells, Rs10 billion for creating the Bank of Balochistan, and Rs3 billion for the establishment of a Balochistan Aviation Company. Other efforts include mineral projects, protection of heritage sites, e-commerce centers, and development projects’ monitoring.