By Mian Abrar

ISLAMABAD, Sep 26 (APP): For the first time in history, the public representatives of Gilgit-Baltistan would make financial decisions on their own as the upcoming budget would be passed by the Gilgit-Baltistan Assembly after its elections. Priorly, Ministry of Kashmir Affairs and Northern Areas (KANA) used to prepare the budget of Northern Areas despite the fact that there was Northern Areas Legislative Assembly (NALA) to decide the fate of its people.

From now on, the annual budget of Gilgit-Baltistan would be presented in the Gilgit Baltistan Legislative Assembly (GBLA) after its elections and the new legislative assembly would submit the demands for grants for the next budget. Moreover, for the first time, the GB assembly would have the powers to approve its annual budget.

The finance division of GB would prepare the budget which would be presented in GBLA and the members would have autonomy to submit cut motions and proposals marking the financial autonomy of the people of GB.      

As per the provisions of Gilgit-Baltistan (Empowerment and Self-Governance) Order 2009, the Gilgit-Baltistan government shall, in respect of every financial year, cause to be laid before the Assembly a statement of estimated receipts and expenditure for that year, to be called the Annual Budget.

“The Annual Budget shall be submitted to the Assembly in the form of demands for grant and the Assembly shall have power to assent to, or to refuse to assent to any demand, or to assent to any demand subject to a reduction of the amount specified therein,” says the ordinance.

“No demand for a grant shall be made except on the recommendation of the Government. The Annual Budget, as passed by the Assembly, shall be placed before the Governor who shall authenticate it by his signature,” adds the ordinance.

“If in respect of any financial year it is found that the amount authorized to be expended for a particular service for the current financial year is insufficient, or that a need has arisen for expenditure upon some new service not included in the Annual Budget for that year,” says the ordinance.

In case that any money has been spent on any service during a financial year in excess of the amount granted for that year, the Government shall have the power to authorize expenditure from the Gilgit-Baltistan Consolidated Fund and shall cause to be laid before the Assembly a Budget or, as the case may be, an excess Budget, setting oui the amount of that expenditure, and the provisions of this Article shall apply to those Budgets as they apply to the Annual Budget.

“Notwithstanding anything contained in the foregoing provisions of this section, the Assembly shall have power to make any grant in advance in respect of the estimated expenditure for a part of any financial year, not exceeding four mouths, pending completion of the procedure prescribed in clause (2) for the voting of such grant and the authentication of the Budget,” adds the ordinance.