PUNJAB BUDGET 2026-27: Punjab eyes Rs910bn surplus in Rs5.9tr budget

The government’s total estimated expenditure also went up 9.6pc, or Rs568bn, from the outgoing year’s Rs5.335tr. The budget documents lack full transparency as they gloss over many things, including a Rs588bn drop in the ADP, while the government promised increased development spending, major investments in education, health, agriculture and infrastructure and maintained that no additional tax burden would be placed on the public. Presenting the budget in the Punjab Assembly, Finance Minister Mujtaba Shujaur Rehman said the government had adopted fiscal discipline and administrative reforms to create room for public welfare and development initiatives despite economic challenges. The government said its fiscal strategy was anchored in the principles of “prudent financial management, expen­d­iture rationalisation and revenue mobilisation”. Budget documents show that general revenue receipts are projected to increase from Rs4.74tr in the outgoing fiscal year to Rs5.60tr in the next, supported by growth in federal divisible pool transfers and enhanced provincial own-source revenues. Revenue reforms, including broadening of the tax base, modernisation of tax administration, digitisation of collection systems and improvements in complian