May 18, 2003	Sunday	Rabi-ul-Awwal 15, 1424

PESHAWAR, May 17: The NWFP government has received Rs245 million under the head of general sales tax on services during the first ten months, making 60 per cent of the projected allocation for this fiscal, according to official sources.

Islamabad had projected to transfer Rs413.203 million to the NWFP in the 2002-03 financial year under this head - a provincial levy collected by the Central Board of Revenue (CBR) from the services sector of province(s). The quantum of total GST on services funds disbursed to NWFP rose to Rs245m after the Centre released Rs26m in the 10th month of the current fiscal year.

The province is yet to receive Rs168m during the last two months of the current financial year. Official sources expressed the hope, like in the last financial year, the NWFP would receive the projected amount for the current financial year.

However, flow of funds to the NWFP this time remained lower than the last financial year, making some of the provincial authorities apprehensive about the province’s chances to get the amount. The funds released to the NWFP on account of GST on services in the July-April period of the 2002-03 financial year fell by Rs40m when compared with Rs285m it had received during the same period of last financial year.

SUBVENTION: Funds released to NWFP on account of subvention - funds extended as grant for NWFP being under-developed area - remained in line with the disbursement plan. Out of the total annual projection of Rs3.898bn subvention the province received Rs3.248bn during the first ten months of the 2002-03 financial year at the rate of Rs342.8m per month. In view of the first ten months’ releases, according to official sources, the provincial government is set to get the total amount of funds projected by Centre for the NWFP for the 2002-03 financial year. However, according to official record, the  disbursement remained Rs63m less than the total amount the province got in the corresponding period of the last financial year.