Islamabad (HRNW)- The federal government is expected to allocate Rs1.126 trillion for development projects in the upcoming Federal Budget 2026-27, according to estimates discussed during a meeting of the Annual Plan Coordination Committee chaired by Federal Minister for Planning and Development Ahsan Iqbal.
According to Planning Commission documents, it has been proposed to allocate Rs135 billion for energy projects, Rs140 billion for water resources, and Rs408 billion for transport and communication projects. In addition, Rs187 billion is expected to be earmarked for the social sector.
The meeting also reviewed a proposal to set the country’s GDP growth target at 4 percent for the fiscal year 2026-27. Targets under consideration include 3.6 percent growth in major crop production and 5.8 percent growth in the manufacturing sector.
According to the document, Pakistan’s GDP growth during the current fiscal year stood at 3.7 percent, while the target for large-scale manufacturing had been fixed at 4.5 percent.
Officials informed the meeting that approximately Rs10 trillion would be required to complete all ongoing and planned development projects across the country.
Speaking after the meeting, Federal Minister Ahsan Iqbal said that the development budget had remained largely stagnant over the past eight years, affecting the progress of numerous projects. He noted that development investment declined significantly after 2018, falling from 2.6 percent of GDP to just 0.6 percent.
He added that projects worth thousands of billions of rupees are currently under completion, while new development proposals are also under consideration. According to the minister, the government is making efforts to ensure that ongoing projects are completed within the stipulated timeframe.
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