Punjab has Rs. 533 billion tax-free budget with a 10% salary rise, a 5% pension increase, and a minimum pay of Rs. 40,000

For the upcoming fiscal year 2025–2026, the Punjab government has proposed a budget of Rs. 5,335 billion for the province. Speaker Assembly Malik Muhammad Ahmed Khan presided over the budget meeting, while Provincial Finance Minister Mujtaba Shuja-ur-Rehman gave the presentation.

Employees from grade 1 to grade 22 will see a 10% pay boost, according to the provincial finance minister, while pensions will see a 5% hike. The minimum salary is to be raised from Rs 37,000 to Rs 40,000 per month. A target of Rs 524.7 billion has been set for tax collections. At Rs 1,240 billion, the development budget has grown by 47.2%.

The current account deficit has been turned into a surplus, and Rs. 400 million has been set aside to provide shelter for journalists and media workers. The education budget has increased by 21.2 percent to Rs. 148 billion, the health budget by 17 percent to Rs. 181 billion, and the agriculture budget by 80 billion. Moreover, Rs. 171.7 billion has been set aside for projects using foreign funding.

There has been a 226 percent rise in the budget for housing, urban development, and public health; a 205 percent increase in the budget for transportation; a 28 percent increase in the budget for municipalities; an 11 percent increase in the budget for agriculture; and a 41 percent increase in the budget for forestry and fisheries, the budget for Medicines by 41 percent, while the budget for Environment Protection has been increased by 44 percent, and the development budget has been increased by 47.2 percent.