The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly was informed on Friday that the provincial government has borrowed Rs 598.710 million foreign loans during the last four years for different projects.
KP minister for Finance Taimur Salim Jhagra responding to a question of Rehana Ismail of JUIF told the House that a unit of Finance department comprising experts reviews the loans from time to time, adding that KP was the only province of the country which had not borrowed loan from the local banks rather these were taken from international monetary entities on 30 to 40 years return period.
He said the return period also include the repayment of loans of the past governments. Jhagra said that loans are taken for mega projects while keeping in view the revenue generation, adding that the revenue generation in KP increased three folds during the last three years.
Jhagra said the government was ready to share the details of all foreign loans with the House if to be required. Later Deputy Speaker Mehmood Jan referred the question to the concerned committee for more details.
Responding to another question during the questions’ hour, the Minister said that the federal government has stopped all the funds for ‘Kamiyab Pakistan’ and ‘Nojaawan Pakistan’ schemes due to which the youth are facing difficulties.
He said that these schemes were meant for public welfare and support of the youth and demanded that such schemes should not be stopped.
Earlier, JUI MPA Rehana Ismail on her question said that the burden of foreign loans had increased manifold during PTI government, adding that during MMA government the foreign debts were Rs 16 billion and Rs 97 billion during ANP government but PTI government took the debt to over Rs 500 billion.
She said that maximum loans were taken in transport sector including Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) Project. Meanwhile to a question about low wage of Ombudsperson, Women legislators raised objections. PPP MPA Nighat Orakzai said the other provinces were paying Rs 300,000 to 400,000 monthly salary to Ombudsperson while KP government was paying only 123,558 which was very low as compare to other provinces.
JUI MPA Naeema Kishwar said that the provincial ombudsperson did not get salary from last ten months; if the ombudsperson can’t raise voice for her own right how could she defend the rights of others, she questioned.
Provincial Minister for Law Fazal Shakoor told the House that two months back a raise of Rs 200,000 was given in salary of the provincial ombudsperson and efforts are being made to bring it at par with other provinces.
Meanwhile responding to the demand of MPAs regarding raise in salaries of the members of provincial assembly, Minister for Finance Taimur Salim Jhagra said that a summary has already been moved to Chief Minister for the approval and as soon as it would be signed the raise would be given. He dispelled the impression that the Chief Minister KP had raised his own salary.
