ECP told govt does not have funds for ‘unplanned’ upcoming polls
The government has all but told the Election Commission of Pakistan that it has no money for holding the upcoming elections of the Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and National Assembly by-elections given the severe financial constraint it currently faces.
The ECP requested Rs52.417 billion in a letter from the Finance Division’s Additional Finance Secretary for Expenses and Development, Aamer Mahmood Hussain, for the organization of regular elections, including local body polls, by polls, and other electoral activity.
Later, this was reduced to Rs47.417 billion.
However, only Rs15 billion were approved due to the country’s financial constraints.
Of this, the budget approved Rs5 billion, and ECP received Rs10 billion in additional grants as supplementary grants. After each tranche had been utilized, a decision was made in November 2022 to distribute the funds in three tranches of Rs5 billion each.
The first Rs5 billion has already been distributed by the federal government, and the remaining Rs5 billion are still being processed.
However, the ECP requested additional funds in the amount of Rs14.388 billion in order to conduct by-elections in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) before the second tranche could be processed.
Hussain stated, “As such, ECP has demanded Rs61.805 billion in total for the conduct of elections.”
He pointed out that the ECP did not provide clear information regarding the required funds, expenditures, or foreign exchange requirements when it requested additional funds.
“The Finance Division has separately advised ECP to share details of items that must be purchased in order to be exempt from austerity measures,” the statement reads.
He went on to say that the government is facing a fiscal deficit and an unprecedented economic crisis at the moment. In these difficult circumstances, the government must ensure funds for flood-affected areas and the Census, in addition to covering government operating costs and providing sectoral subsidies, the letter stated.
“In such a scenario, the arrangement of funds for unplanned or unbudgetted expenditure would increase the economic burden.”
It was not possible to spare any additional funds because the nation was subjected to the International Monetary Fund (IMF)’s Extended Fund Facility program and was under pressure to meet strict fiscal discipline and fiscal/primary deficit targets.
“ECP Is requested to kindly consider deferring their demand for funds until a suitable time when the economic conditions improve, in view of the aforementioned, fragile economic situation and in the greater interest of the country.
