• Civil administration costs jump 13pc to Rs161.2bn in July-Sept
• Pension bill soars 125pc over five years; subsidy payments rise six times to Rs120bn
• Surge persists despite ‘aggressive rightsizing’, which cuts over 200,000 jobs

ISLAMABAD: The government’s expenditure on civil administration and pension payouts has continually climbed over the last five years, with the first quarter of the current fiscal year seeing a double-digit increase despite a strict official austerity policy and an aggressive downsizing exercise.

Fiscal data released by the Ministry of Finance indicates a 13pc increase in ‘Running of the Civil Government’ expenditure in the first quarter, which runs from July to September. The costs rose to Rs161.2bn in the current fiscal year, compared to Rs142.5bn during the same period last year.

This rise in expenses comes as the government claims to be tightening its belt........

© Dawn Business