Pakistan defence budget to go up by Rs.30 bn

[Neo]

Pakistan defence budget to go up by Rs.30 bn
Tuesday May 29, 2007

Islamabad, May 29 (IANS) The Pakistani government is to increase its defence budget for the 2007-08 fiscal year by Rs.30 billion to about Rs.280 billion.

Quoting reliable sources, Online news agency reported Tuesday that the defence ministry had sought Rs.300 billion budget for fulfilling the requirements of the armed forces and had sent a recommendation to this effect to the finance ministry.

The sources, however, said the budget would be pegged at Rs.277-Rs.280 billion.

Pakistan's defence budget for fiscal 2006-07 was Rs.250.2 billion or 2.8 percent of the GDP.

The sources said it was yet to be decided whether the amount required for purchasing the JF-17 Thunder jet jointly developed with China and F-16 fighters from the US would be earmarked in the budget or whether a separate allocation would be made.

A decision on this would be taken at a meeting to be chaired by President Pervez Musharraf and attended among others by Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz.

http://in.news.yahoo.com/070529/43/6gee6.html

 

[Interceptor]

Which is probably one of the lowest in Asia %2.8.

 

[Interceptor]

Current GDP of Pakistan is $475.6 billion and the defence budget is %2.8 which is $13.32 billion.

 

[Neo]

Current GDP of Pakistan is $475.6 billion and the defence budget is %2.8 which is $13.32 billion.

I beg to differ mate, Pakistan's real term GDP is somewhere around $140-150 billion, not $475 billion which is the equivalent of GDP in PPP (Purchasing Power Parity).
Budget is not deviated from PPP but real term GDP. Current Defence Expenditure therefor stands at $4.5, ca 3.5% of the GDP.

PPP is basically nothing, just baked air. Many governments of developping countries proudly use the economic data in PPP to chest thumb their achievements.

 

[Interceptor]

I beg to differ mate, Pakistan's real term GDP is somewhere around $140-150 billion, not $475 billion which is the equivalent of GDP in PPP (Purchasing Power Parity).
Budget is not deviated from PPP but real term GDP. Current Defence Expenditure therefor stands at $4.5, ca 3.5% of the GDP.

PPP is basically nothing, just baked air. Many governments of developping countries proudly use the economic data in PPP to chest thumb their achievements.

Thanks for explaining I see where you are coming from, I take that into account next time I read about the GDP is reaching $480 billion.

Neo what would be the estimated defence budget be in the figures.

 

[Neo]

Somewhere around $4.5 billion.

 

[dabong1]

What was the point of getting nukes if we are still going to increase defence spending.

 

[Neo]

One has nothing to do with the other, we're in urgent need of modernisation and expansion of our conventional armed forces to maintain status quo in the region.

We haven't bought anything revolutionary since the F-16's in early eighties.

 

[EagleEyes]

What was the point of getting nukes if we are still going to increase defence spending.

Like Neo has mentioned before. We are in the modernization period. It should be completed by 2019.. with Pakistan being one of the modern armed forces in the world.

 

[dabong1]

"we're in urgent need of modernisation and expansion of our" education sector.
I wonder when there will be a "modernization period" for the health sector or bringing a standard of living to all pakistanis so pakistan can "maintain the status quo in the region".$4.5 billion extra would be a nice sum to spend on the health and education sector.

 

[Neo]

Pakistan hikes defence allocation in new budget
Sat, 09 Jun 2007

Islamabad - Pakistan on Saturday unveiled its budget for the coming year, with a nine-per-cent boost to defence spending. "Only strong national defence can guarantee peace," Deputy Finance Minister Omar Ayub Khan told the national assembly lower house in Islamabad.

From July 1, 2006, the military will receive 275 billion rupees (about 4.5 billion dollars)as compared to 250 billion rupees (4.09 billion dollars), Khan said, adding that Pakistan was a nuclear power and that "no one can cast the evil eye on it."

Amid continuing rivalry with neighbouring India, which is also nuclear-armed, Pakistan's defence forces are currently undergoing extensive modernization.

Plans have been approved for the acquisition of state-of-the-art weapons systems, including about 70 F-16 fighter planes from the United States, reconnaissance planes from Switzerland, several warships from Greece and China, and submarines from Germany or France.

The entire budget for the coming fiscal year amounts to 1.774 trillion rupees.

http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/71086.html

 

[Democrat-Pak]

yes i agree what was the point of having nuclear option if we are to keep financing the military more and more. Why can that increase not be used to help the pakistani economy and those who are still homeless after the earth quake. The goverment was very swift to assure that houses will be built etc, well that progress is very slow. This increase could be something that could be used to keep the promises that our dictator goverment made.

Neo you are a an administrator, brother if u have critical views of me then i would very much appreciate it that you expressed them in open enviroment. And also say my views of pakistan are poor and critical, is that not my right to express them?

Pakistan in undemocratic and faces problem because of people like you who feel threatned by others views even though they are most times harmless, your type of patriosm is blind foolishness that doesnt rope people closer but creates tension and atmosphere.

 

[Neo]

yes i agree what was the point of having nuclear option if we are to keep financing the military more and more. Why can that increase not be used to help the pakistani economy and those who are still homeless after the earth quake. The goverment was very swift to assure that houses will be built etc, well that progress is very slow. This increase could be something that could be used to keep the promises that our dictator goverment made.

Nuclear option is to maintain balance and create credible deterance in the region. Being a nuclear power does not mean you can neglect the conventional defence capability. Pakistan currently is spending 3% of GDP on defence, thats a very reasonable percentage considering the fact that we're sitauted in a very instable reagion and have to protect our geo-political interests.

Neo you are a an administrator, brother if u have critical views of me then i would very much appreciate it that you expressed them in open enviroment. And also say my views of pakistan are poor and critical, is that not my right to express them?

What do you mean?
We're all here to debate and nobody is stopping you from sharing your pov's.

Pakistan in undemocratic and faces problem because of people like you who feel threatned by others views even though they are most times harmless, your type of patriosm is blind foolishness that doesnt rope people closer but creates tension and atmosphere.

No, Pakistan is undemocratic because even sixty years after dependence our leadership and political environment is failing her people. We've been flirting with democracy for six decades and yet I'm still to see one single civil government which has delivered and brought more properity to her people than current government.
My patriotism may be blind its realistic.

 

[Neo]

Defence budget up nine percent

ISLAMABAD (June 10 2007): Pakistan has increased defence spending by more than 9 percent to Rs 275 billion for the next fiscal, as compared to Rs 252 billion in the out going financial year. The amount is 3.13 percent of the country's GDP. The defence spending is higher than the spending on education and health.

"Impregnable defence is indispensable for a nation which wants to live with honour and dignity," Minister of State for Finance Omar Ayub Khan said in his budget speech to the National Assembly on Saturday evening. "Pakistan is a nuclear power, if any one looks at us with evil intention, we will respond with full force."

INDIAN DEFENCE SPENDING Pakistan's move comes months after neighbouring India did the same. New Delhi's defence spending for the financial year starting April 2007 went up by around 8 percent.

Though Indian defence budget is more than five times higher than that of Pakistan in size, yet its ratio to GDP (2.1 percent) is much lower. But relations have started improving since they launched a peace process in early 2004.

Despite the thaw in ties, the nuclear-armed South Asian rivals have continued to focus on their military build-up. Omar Ayub said peace could only be achieved by making defences invincible.

CONTROVERSIAL & TRICKY Pakistan high defence spending has always been a source of controversy. Many political parties and rights group have been pressing the respective governments in the past to cut military budget.

The construction of a new army headquarters in the federal capital, Islamabad, is another point military's bitter opponents capitalise on for criticising high defence spending.

Some four years ago, the government decided to pay pensions of retired armed forces personnel from the civilian budget, a tricky move that drew a barrage of criticism.

The planned defence spending is in addition to military aid Pakistan is getting from the United States for its role as a front-line state in the war against terrorism. In the past six years, Pakistan has received an estimated $10 billion of assistance from Washington, much of it in the form of military aid.

http://www.brecorder.com/index.php?i... rm=&supDate=