KP’s Surplus Stands Out in Federal Report, While Punjab Posts Deficit of Rs 160 Billion

The Federal Finance Ministry has released its report on the economic performance of Pakistan’s provinces for the first quarter of the fiscal year 2024-25. According to the report, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) led with an impressive surplus of Rs 103 billion, outperforming Punjab, which posted a major deficit of Rs 160 billion.

Here’s a breakdown of the report’s findings for each province:

• Khyber Pakhtunkhwa: Achieved a surplus of Rs 103 billion, with revenue totaling Rs 316 billion and expenditures of Rs 212 billion. This marks a significant improvement from the previous year’s Q1 deficit of Rs 10 billion.
• Punjab: Recorded a deficit of Rs 160 billion, with revenue of Rs 866 billion against expenditures of Rs 1,026 billion.
• Sindh: Reported a surplus of Rs 131 billion, driven by revenue of Rs 568 billion and expenditures of Rs 437 billion.
• Balochistan: Also posted a surplus, amounting to Rs 85 billion, with revenue of Rs 168 billion and expenditures of Rs 83 billion.

The report comes amid a broader context of national economic growth. Pakistan’s economy grew by 2.52% in the fiscal year 2024, largely fueled by strong performance in the agriculture sector, which saw improved crop yields. This growth trend continued through the final quarter (April to June 2024), where Gross Domestic Product (GDP) rose by 3.07%, according to Arif Habib Limited, citing the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS).