Punjab Government Announces Minimum Wage to 40,000 PKR Monthly
The Punjab Government has officially presented the budget for the fiscal year 2025–26 in the provincial assembly. A key highlight of the budget is the decision to increase the minimum wage for laborers to Rs. 40,000 per month. Last year, the minimum wage stood at Rs. 37,000, marking an increase of Rs. 3,000 for the new financial year.
Presenting the budget, Punjab Finance Minister Mujtaba Shuja-ur-Rehman announced a 10% increase in salaries for all provincial government employees from Grade 1 to Grade 22. Additionally, a 5% increase in pensions has been proposed for retired government employees in Punjab.
The Finance Minister stated that the Chief Minister of Punjab allocated Rs. 50 billion from the development budget to provide relief in utility bills. He highlighted that the public, especially last year, faced considerable difficulty due to high electricity bills.
Transport Sector Development
Significant investments are planned for the transport sector:
- Funds have been allocated for electric buses in cities like Gujrat, Rawalpindi, Sargodha, Faisalabad, and others.
- A total of 54 new transport schemes have been included in the development budget.
- For 34 new development schemes, the government has set aside Rs. 80.014 billion.
- An additional Rs. 4.5699 billion has been allocated for 20 ongoing development projects.
This budget reflects the provincial government’s focus on improving workers’ livelihoods, supporting public employees, and investing in sustainable urban transportation across Punjab.
