Sindh CM presents budget for remaining nine months of fiscal year

KARACHI: Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah on Monday presented the budget for the remaining nine months of the fiscal year 2018-19 in the provincial assembly, announcing to curtail budgetary allocations for development programmes owing to financial deficit.

The chief minister said the provincial government largely banks on federal transfers but it has always received less than its estimated share.

He said during the previous fiscal year, the province got Rs549.9 billion against estimated federal transfers of Rs627.3 billion, facing a cut of Rs77.4 billion.

Mr Shah said Rs343.911 billion have been allocated for its planned development projects for the financial year 2018-19, out of which Rs252 billion will be spent on the provincial development schemes, and Rs46.895 billion on schemes launched with cooperation from foreign countries.

Rs202.00 billion has been earmarked for on-going development schemes which are part of the annual development programme (ADP), whereas Rs50.00 billion has been allocated for new ones.

He said they have been waiting for the 9^th NFC Award for a long time as the province face a budget crunch. The chief minister called on the federal government to announce the NFC award at the earliest.

An amount of Rs102.48 billion has been earmarked for the provincial home department and Rs2 billion for its development programmes.