ISLAMABAD: A number of government departments have dramatically exceeded the amounts allocated to them in the budget for FY2016-17, with certain divisions spending as much as four to eight times the amount allocated to them.

Budget documents show there are at least eight departments whose spending exceeded their allocated budget by a large margin.

The Food Security and Research Division, for example, was allocated Rs3.7 billion in 2016-17, but ended up spending over Rs29bn, nearly eight times its allocated budget. According to the breakdown of current expenditure, the main head under which additional costs were incurred was ‘Grants, Subsidies and Write-Off Loans’.

Food Security Division spent eight times budgeted amount, PID exceeded allocation by over Rs1.5 billion

Similarly, the Press Information Department (PID) ended up spending Rs2.7bn, four times the allocated amount of Rs594 million. In the breakdown of its budget utilisation, a massive expenditure of Rs2.2bn in operating costs is mentioned simply under the head ‘General’.

Under the Pakistan Muslim League-N, PID has not exceeded its allocated budget very often, or this dramatically. Since the party came to power, PID has spent Rs872m in FY2016-17, Rs430m in 2014-15 and Rs365m in 2013-14.

Reacting to this information, Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf MNA Asad Umar said: “The fruits of these expenses are clearly visible on TV.”

Information Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb could not be reached for comment, despite repeated attempts.

The Cabinet Division’s Emergency Relief and Repatriation head contains excess spending of over Rs2bn, nearly all of it on account of purchase and repair of official vehicles.

The Inter-Provincial Coordination Division, which deals with departments and functions left over following devolution of subjects to the provinces under the 18th amendment, spent over Rs2.2bn, Rs525m more than its allocated budget.

According to the breakdown of its expenses, the department spent Rs102m on ‘transfers’ of officials and incurred Rs1.3bn in operating expenses.

Similarly, the Economic Affairs Division exceeded its budgetary allocation by around Rs4bn, while the information ministry’s National History and Literary Heritage Division overspent by around Rs645m.

The Climate Change Division also exceeded its allocation by Rs289m, while the Human Rights Division overshot its budget by Rs432m.

Talking to Dawn, Parliamentary Secretary for Finance Rana Mohammad Afzal Khan said that most departments did not end up spending all of their allocated budgets, while others might have exceeded the amount allocated to them.

The excess spending is reflected in the next year’s budget and is approved post-facto by parliament in the form of a ‘supplementary budget’.

“Money is moved from one pocket to another, this process is known as re-appropriation,” he said, explaining that this was a routine practice.

Other divisions have also overshot their spending targets. The interior ministry, for example, ended up spending far more than the budgeted amount on account of Rangers and civil armed forces. The ministry actually ended up spending Rs115.5bn against an allocation of Rs86.6bn, a 33pc increase.

Published in Dawn, May 28th, 2017