NAVEED BUTT

ISLAMABAD: A total of Rs 68.5 billion charged expenditure and appropriations for various ministries, divisions and departments for the outgoing financial year 2016-17 was laid in the National Assembly.

Finance Minister Muhammad Ishaq Dar presented charged expenditure and appropriation for financial year 2016-17 in the House for discussion. However, the opposition members remained absent from the house in protest against the government after staging a walkout. The treasury members did not discuss the charged expenditure and appropriation. The finance minister said that these charged expenditures are already understood and they stand approved.

According to documents, a total of Rs 63 billion charged expenditure for foreign loans repayment, Rs 4.9 billon for servicing of foreign debt, Rs 40 million for Federal Tax Ombudsman, Rs 35 million for Wafaqi Mohtasib, Rs 83 million for election, Rs 106 million for staff, household and allowances for the President, Rs 5.7 million for other expenditure of Law and Justice Division, Rs 6.5 billion for capital outlay on civil works, Rs 1.8 billion for development expenditure of Water and Power Division, and Rs 2.2 for development expenditure of Economic Affairs Division outside PSDP, etc.