Gilgit-Baltistan Budget 2026-27: Key Funds Revealed | Shyok Times

Gilgit-Baltistan Budget 2026-27 carries a total outlay of Rs218.845 billion, with Rs43.973 billion allocated for development expenditure and Rs149.872 billion for non-development spending. The budget also includes Rs25 billion for wheat-related support, while the minimum monthly wage has been proposed at Rs44,000.

The annual budget was presented in the Gilgit-Baltistan Assembly on September 15, 2026, by Finance Minister Muhammad Ali Akhtar. The financial plan follows a three-month interim budget presented in July while negotiations over federal resources and wheat support were continuing.

The government has also announced measures to contain expenditure, including a proposed reduction of up to 30 percent in non-development allocations of departments. Health, education, agriculture and employment have been identified among the government's priority areas.

District-Wise Funding

A district-wise allocation document provided to Shyok Times shows the following amounts:

The figures indicate substantial variation among districts. Shigar's listed allocation of Rs502.5 million is among the smaller allocations in the document, while the district has continuing infrastructure requirements, including road connectivity, communications, health and education facilities.

The district-wise figures should, however, be read in the context of the wider development programme. They should not automatically be treated as the complete amount of all government or federal spending in a district, as separate federal projects and sectoral allocations can also be implemented in Gilgit-Baltistan.

Official federal budget documents, for example, separately provide funding for the Gilgit-Baltistan government grant and wheat subsidy, while government development documents contain project-level allocations.

The Gilgit-Baltistan Planning and Development Department is responsible for coordinating and monitoring development programmes at the regional level.

For residents across the region, the key issue will now be not only the size of the Gilgit-Baltistan Budget 2026-27, but also the implementation of development schemes and the extent to which allocated funds translate into improvements in roads, communications, education, healthcare, employment and other public services.