Punjab’s Budget 2026-27, presented by Finance Minister Mian Mujtaba Shuja-ur-Rehman in the Provincial Assembly, reflects the provincial government’s effort to combine fiscal discipline with an expansive social and development agenda. With a total outlay of Rs 5,903.5 billion, the budget is the largest in Punjab’s history and represents a 10.7 per cent increase over the previous fiscal year. More than a statement of accounts, it offers a clear indication of the government’s priorities under Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif: public welfare, infrastructure development, human capital investment and economic modernisation.

A notable feature of the budget is the continuation of the government’s policy of avoiding new taxes. At a time when households and businesses continue to face economic pressures, the decision not to impose additional provincial taxes has been presented as an effort to support economic activity while relying on improved governance, digitisation and enhanced compliance to strengthen revenue collection. Provincial own-source revenues are projected at Rs 1,209.9 billion, while federal transfers under the NFC Award are expected to remain the principal source of revenue. The province has also committed a surplus of Rs 546 billion in line with national fiscal commitments.

Schemes such as Himmat Cards, Minority Cards and other social assistance initiatives reflect an effort to extend the benefits of........

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