QUETTA: Balochistan Finance Minister Zamrak Khan Piralizai has said the government’s efforts to attract investment in the province could not bear fruit until free movement of foreign and local investors was ensured.

Speaking at the post-budget press conference on Tuesday night, he wondered who will be interested in investing in Balochistan when the entry of investors was prohibited. “We have told the federal government that Balochistan is not a prohibited area. Foreign and local investors should be allowed and not restricted from entering Balochistan in the name of security,” he said.

Mr Piralizai said there could be law and order issues in a few districts, but Quetta, Gwadar, Lasbela, Hub and many other areas were safe.

The post-budget press conference was delayed and its timing was changed three times as the finance minister went to Islamabad in the morning to attend an important meeting presided over by the prime minister and attended by ministers and senior officials.

Minister terms provincial budget ‘historical’ and ‘people-friendly’

Mr Piralizai termed the provincial budget historic and people-friendly and said the government proposed the highest allocation of Rs131 billion for the development programme despite facing serious financial crunch throughout the outgoing financial year.

He said the provincial government will provide Rs229bn from its own resources which will be spent on new and ongoing development schemes.

He said that under the foreign-funded projects, Rs39bn and Rs45bn would also be available for federal development projects. The minister added the total outlay of the for the financial year 2023-24 was Rs750 billion against the total income, including the NFC award share of Rs701bn, which showed a deficit of Rs49bn, which is less than the current year’s budget deficit.

He said in the next year’s budget, 9,789 development schemes will be part of the provincial PSDP, which includes 5,068 new and 4,789 ongoing schemes.

An amount of Rs170bn has been allocated for implementation of the ongoing schemes and Rs58bn for the new projects in the province.

Replying to a question, Mr Piralizai said the highest allocation in the next provincial PSDP was made for the communication sector as roads were badly affected and destroyed in last year’s super floods. He said Rs61bn would be spent on the road and communication sector.

Responding to a question, he said new development schemes included in the provincial PSDP were proposed by the public representatives, adding that the common man could also point out issues and propose development schemes.

However, the minister has not given the details of the new and ongoing development schemes, which will be implemented during the next financial year.

Published in Dawn, June 21st, 2023