Punjab presents Rs5.3tr 'budget of hope' for FY26-27

Punjab Finance Minister Mujtaba Shuja-ur-Rehman on Tuesday presented a Rs5.335 trillion provincial budget for the 2026-27 financial year during an assembly session.

Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz approved the budget after the provincial cabinet formally endorsed the document at its 35th meeting.

Addressing the cabinet meeting, the CM Maryam expressed gratitude to Allah for presenting her third provincial budget and lauded the efforts of Senior Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb, provincial finance minister, Information Minister Azma Zahid Bukhari, Chief Secretary Zahid Akhtar Zaman, Finance Secretary Mujahid Sherdil and the entire team involved in preparing the budget.

She said the budget for FY 2026-27 had been prepared without imposing any new taxes and was focused on public welfare, development and prosperity. She described it as a "budget of hope" aimed at delivering relief to citizens through the province's own resources.

Maryam said the government had made every possible effort to provide maximum relief to the people and minimise the financial burden on them despite economic challenges and prevailing global conditions.

CM Punjab added that although the province had to allocate a substantial amount as its share to the federation, the government remained committed to safeguarding public interests.

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She further directed the Punjab Revenue Authority (PRA) to take effective measures to enhance revenue generation and strengthen the province's financial capacity. She appreciated the collective efforts of the cabinet members and officials, saying the entire team had worked as one unit to prepare a people-friendly budget.

Maryam expressed confidence in the government's performance, saying that she hoped the budget would meet the aspirations of the people as in previous years.

She also prayed for the ability to continue serving the people of Punjab with sincerity and dedication