Defence expenditure ranks third in 2017-18 Union budget proposal
The National League for Democracy-led government’s first crack at formulating an annual Union budget has proposed only a modest increase in defence spending, with the lion’s share earmarked for the Ministry of Planning and Finance. Submitted to parliament yesterday, the K20.896 trillion budget for the 2017-18 fiscal year awards a 13.95 percent chunk to the Ministry of Defence. The slice represents a small boost over last year when the ministry received a 13.4pc share of the K23.62 trillion budget. The ministry had request K3.9 trillion this year. The 2016-17 budget saw the Ministry of Defence placed as the second-highest spending government entity. This year’s budget outline has the Ministry of Defence in third, behind the Ministry of Planning and Finance’s proposed K4.482 trillion, and the Ministry of Electricity and Energy’s K4.497 trillion.
