WEBDESK: Punjab Finance Minister Mujtaba Shuja ur Rehman is presenting a Rs5,335 billion budget for the fiscal year 2025-26, which he earlier described as being aligned with Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif’s development agenda and focused on public welfare.
Commenting on the budget, Punjab’s senior minister Marriyum Aurangzeb highlighted a significant rise in development spending, despite what she described as a “compressed” overall budget.
“Despite a comparatively compressed budget, the ADP [Annual Development Programme] has increased by 47 per cent from 842 bn to 1240 bn while government operational expenses rose only by 3 per cent, even after salary & pension increases,” she stated in a post on X.
Maryum Aurangzeb also pointed out that no new taxes have been added, nor have any existing tax rates been raised. She called it a “zero tax budget,” saying it includes a road-map to broaden Punjab’s tax base.
According to the latest announcements, the interest rate remains unchanged, and the SBP has announced to maintain it at 11 per cent.
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