Sindh govt to present only three-month budget

KARACHI: The Sindh Government will unveil the provincial budget for 2018-19 but it would be limited to only three months.

According to Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah, the reason to limit the budget to three months is taken in view of the general elections so that the next government could bring changes in it as per its priorities.

He made this statement while talking to reporters after inaugurating the China-Pakistan Skilled and Technical Education International Conference here.

‘After elections, the next government can make the allocations for the remaining nine months as per its priorities’.

The chief minister clarified that allocations for development and non-development expenditures, including salaries, would be made for the whole financial year in the budget, but the authentication to utilise it would only be given by the Sindh Assembly up to September.

Shah said there would be two parts of the financial plan, which he said would be presented in the Sindh Assembly on May 5. The first part would be supplementary which deals with the expenditures of the current financial year.

“Similarly, we will allocate amount for the ongoing development schemes for the whole financial year 2018-19 so that the schemes could be completed, but again, the authentication for their utilisation will be made only for three months, up to September only,” he said.

The CM added that it would help the next government to make budgetary changes in accordance with its priorities.