Ayesha Saba

The Ministry of Privatisation has clarified that it is neither implementing any Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP) projects during the current financial year 2025–26 nor has it proposed any PSDP schemes for the next fiscal year 2026–27, and therefore has not sought any PSDP allocation. According to an official document available with Wealth Pakistan, the Privatisation Division was allocated a total budget of Rs184.27 million for the ongoing fiscal year.

By December 31, 2025, releases against this allocation amounted to Rs91.67 million, while actual utilisation stood at Rs55.89 million. A substantial portion of the budget was earmarked for employee-related expenses, which were allocated Rs116.48 million. Of this amount, Rs58.24 million had been released by the end of December, while utilisation reached Rs49.81 million, indicating that most of the released funds under this head were absorbed during the period.

Operating expenses were allocated Rs42.88 million, with releases of Rs19.77 million. However, utilisation under this head remained relatively low at Rs5.61 million. Pension expenditures were allocated Rs5 million, against which Rs2.25 million was released, while utilisation remained limited at Rs0.147 million. Similarly, grants, subsidies and write-off loans were allocated Rs10.5 million, with Rs4.73 million released, though no expenditure had been recorded under this category by the end of December.

Allocations for physical assets stood at Rs4.84 million, all of which were released but remained unutilised, while repairs and maintenance received an allocation of Rs4.58 million, with Rs1.85 million released and Rs0.33 million utilised. A separate breakdown of employee-related expenditures under the Privatisation Commission showed a total allocation of Rs185.81 million, of which Rs102.56 million had been released and Rs86.90 million utilised by December 31, 2025.

Pay of officers was allocated Rs34.37 million, with Rs20.62 million released and Rs14.75 million utilised during the period. Pay of other staff stood at Rs27.86 million, against which Rs16.72 million was released and Rs10.32 million utilised. Regular allowances accounted for the largest share of employee-related spending, with an allocation of Rs72.93 million.

Releases under this head amounted to Rs43.76 million, while utilisation reached Rs43.71 million, reflecting near-complete absorption of the released funds. Other allowances were allocated Rs6 million, with Rs3.6 million released and Rs1.30 million utilised. Non-employee-related expenditures were allocated Rs44.66 million, with releases of Rs17.86 million and utilisation of Rs16.83 million as of December 31, 2025.

Credit: INP-WealthPk