KABUL - Finance Minister Eklil Hakimi on Wednesday presented next fiscal year’s budget with a total outlay of 466 billion afghanis to the Wolesi Jirga or lower house of parliament for approval. 
Hakimi said more than 287 billion afs had been allocated for general expenditures and nearly 178 billion afs for development activities in the budget for the new fiscal year that starts from March 29, 2017.
He said 36 percent of the budget had been set aside for security sector, 21 percent for infrastructure development, 13 percent for education, six percent for agriculture and the rest for other sections. 
The Meshrano Jirga or upper house of parliament approved the budget draft on November 18 with some suggestions including keeping balance among the provinces.
Finance Minister Hakimi told the lower house that current financial deficiencies had been considered in preparation of the budget. He said the draft had been prepared in a way to finance government’s ordinary expenses and keep continue work on development projects.
He said the budget draft included 117 major and minor projects in the fields of infrastructure, health, education and others. It is for the first time that such a huge number of new projects are included in the budget document.
Earlier 1st deputy speaker Haji Zahir Qadeer had warned the house would not endorse the next year’s budget until new individuals replacing the unseated ministers were introduced.
However, 2nd deputy speaker Naimatullah Ghafari, who chaired today’s session, said: “So far no collective decision has been taken in this regard. The warning by the 1st deputy speaker is his personal decision and now new document has been presented to the house and we will decide on them later.”   (Pajhwok)