Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi said the provincial government has set a new revenue record by collecting more than Rs150 billion against a target of Rs129 billion through fiscal reforms, transparency, and improved administrative systems, without imposing any new taxes.

He said that over the past 74 years, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa's revenue had stood at only Rs62 billion, but reforms had increased it to over Rs150 billion. According to him, the revenue target for the current fiscal year has been set at Rs180 billion, with efforts underway to raise it to Rs200 billion through digitisation and further reforms.

Addressing a ceremony on Public Financial Management and Revenue Mobilisation Reforms in Islamabad, the chief minister said the provincial government is promoting merit, transparency, and accountability, while implementing a zero-tolerance policy against corruption. He added that reforms have blocked avenues for corruption, making the historic increase in revenue possible.

He said the government aims to complete 100% digitisation of all provincial departments during the current fiscal year. A digital file-tracking system has already been introduced, while several public services are now being provided online.

Sohail Afridi said the provincial government is working on laying its own electricity transmission lines to make better use of affordable electricity, which would promote industrialisation, attract investment, and create employment opportunities. He added that discussions with various partners for the project are ongoing.

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He said 45% of Pakistan's forests are located in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, with forests covering 27% of the province's land area. The government aims to increase this to 30%. He added that the province's motorways would be converted into greenways, as Khyber Pakhtunkhwa is among the regions most affected by climate change.

Criticising the federal government's economic policies, the chief minister said the federation fell Rs1.3 trillion short of its revenue target and lacked an effective strategy to increase revenues. He said the federal government's priorities were limited to selling national assets and increasing the petroleum levy.

He said that during Imran Khan's government, Pakistan achieved 6.1% GDP growth despite the challenges posed by the Covid-19 pandemic, with significant progress in the industrial and agricultural sectors and relatively low inflation. He claimed that following the regime change, the country's GDP growth had remained around 3% over the past four years.

Sohail Afridi further said that 60% of Pakistan's population consists of young people, but the federal government has no effective policy for them, leading to increased brain drain. He claimed that the country's public debt had risen from Rs43 trillion to over Rs97 trillion, while exports stood at $35 billion against imports of $70 billion, resulting in a persistent trade deficit.

He said he had repeatedly asked the federal government on various national forums about its strategy to reduce the trade deficit but received no response. He also claimed that the federal government's policies had left farmers struggling and forced many young people to leave the country.

The chief minister praised the support of the World Bank and the provincial Finance Department, saying their assistance and reform initiatives had played a key role in enabling Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to achieve its historic revenue milestone.