DOHA. Qatar has unveiled its biggest budget in history, with revenue estimates put at 72.45 billion Qatari riyals ($19.91 billion), expenditure planned at 65.7 billion riyals and an expected surplus of 6.74 billion riyals. The size of the 2007-08 budget is a reflection of the success of the economic policies the country has been pursuing. A lavish allocation has been done for infrastructure development projects, with spending going up from 19.8 billion riyals in 2006-07 to 20.9 billion riyals. The money will be invested on projects including roads, sewage, electricity and water, sprucing up industrial areas to mainly encourage small and medium business. The government has continued to give priority to the education sector, with allocations reaching 8 billion riyals, or 12.24 percent of the public expenditure. Out of these, more than 5 billion riyals will be spent on building schools and other facilities that are key to achieving the state’s stated objectives in the field. Health remains another key area for the government, with the outlay for the sector at 4.8 billion riyals. The country’s increase in revenue over 2006-07 has been put at 27 percent, or 15.5 billion riyals, while expenditure has been estimated at 65.7 billion riyals, showing an increase of 11.1 billion riyals over the previous year.

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