Sindh CM presents Rs1144.2billion budget for fiscal year 2018-19

KARACHI: The Sindh government on Thursday announced total outlay of Rs1.144 trillion provincial budget for fiscal year 2018-19, ARY News reported.

Presenting the budget in provincial assembly, Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah said that this year, the provincial government is requesting the Sindh Assembly to authorize expenditure for only three months from July 1 to September 30, 2018.

“Though constitutionally, we have the mandate to approve budget for the next whole financial year, however, to uphold the party principals of fair play we believe that it is the rightful mandate of the incoming government to set budget priorities for themselves,” said the CM before starting his budget speech.

The CM then started his budget speech by stating that the outlay of budget is estimated
at Rs.1144.2billion as against budget estimate of Rs.1043.2billion of CFY, reflecting an increase of8.8%. The current expenditure including Current Revenue Expenditure of Rs.773.2 billion and Current Capital Expenditure of Rs.27.1billion stands at Rs.800.3billion. For next financial year Current Expenditure constitutes 69.9% of the total provincial budget.

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HEALTH

Rs.12.2 billion is allocated on non-development side and Rs.12.50billion on development side. Whereas new schemes of Health sector will be accommodated under the provision of Rs.50 billion earmarked separately as block allocation for new schemes for all sectors in ADP 2018-19.

EDUCATION

The non-development budget of Education has been increased from Rs.178.70 billion to a total of Rs.205.739 billion in next financial year 2018-19. Whereas, on development side, Rs.24.4 billion are allocated in ADP 2018-19, for 309 on-going schemes only, whereas
new schemes of Education sector will be accommodated under the provision of Rs.50.00 billion earmarked separately as “Block Allocation‟ for new schemes for all sectors in ADP 2018-19.

SPECIAL EDUCATION

For Special Education, there is total allocation of Rs.1,117.253 million including Rs.213 million ondevelopment side, and Rs.904.253 million on non-development side, during current financial year 2017-18 and Rs.1,241 million proposed for next financial year 2018-19.

INCREASE IN SALARY

The CM Sindh said that for next financial year, the Sindh government proposed an increase of 10% in the basic salary of all government employees and pensioners.

LAW AND ORDER

The CM said that Allocating funds worth Rs.5.712 billion in SNE (New) 2018-19 for purchase of Physical Assets; Rs.5.348 billion for Sindh Police; Rs.306.855 million for Pakistan Rangers (Sindh); and Rs.14.865 million for Frontier Constabulary (Sindh); and Rs.42.996 million for Home Department and its attached offices.

GRANTS

The Government of Sindh is providing Rs.5.59billion to SIUT as a grant in next financial
year (2018-19) to sustain its services at Karachi and for its new initiatives in other cities. It includes establishment of SUIT at Larkana with an allocation of Rs.497.5 million. SIUT has already established SIUT-Sukkur Chapter with an investment of
Rs.552.27 million.

This institute has been functionalized to provide affordable OPD, Diagnostic, Dialysis and other specialized services.

Bone Marrow Transplantation Unit in SIUT at the cost of Rs.692.779 million, which is equipped with state of the art infrastructure and facilities, benefiting 50-100 patients.

AGRICULTURE

The ADP for Agriculture (excluding new schemes) under next financial year is pitched at Rs.5 billion,besides provincial ADP, Rs.5.94 billion have been allocated for foreign funded projects.

Sindh irrigated agriculture productivity enhancement program has an allocation of Rs.1.08 billion under on-going schemes.

Preservation & storage facility of fruits and vegetables through hot water treatment & controlled atmosphere store on subsidy to farmers is kept at Rs.508.8 million.

Provision of solar water pumps/tube wells on subsidized rates to farmers in Sindh will be
continued under on-going with Rs.113 million.

NO FINANCE BILL

The CM said that he is pleased to announce that for the second year in a row, Sindh government is not proposing any new taxes in the budget.

“Budget 2018-19 is a tax-free, welfare oriented and a progressive budget. I will not
be introducing a Finance Bill for 2018-19,” said the CM.