KARACHI
\nSindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah has threatened that PPP will not support the federal budget if their demands, including withdrawal of proposed 18 percent tax on solar panels, are not fulfilled by the Centre.
\nAddressing his post-budget press conference in Karachi on Saturday, CM Murad Ali Shah said \u201cSindh is not a colony of the Federation as the province is not getting its full share from the Centre.\u201d
\nPutting up a long list of complaints against the Centre, the chief minister said first Rs30 billion were allocated for Hyderabad-Sukkur Motorway and this allocation was reduced to Rs15 billion. \u201cIf the trend persists this project would not complete even in next 12 years,\u201d he added.
\nMurad Ali Shah said making the provincial budget for the next financial year (FY), 2025-26, was not a cakewalk. He said that one day prior to the day he was going to make the budget speech, he was told by the federal government through a letter that the Center would not give Rs1,901 billion, but Rs1796.1 billion to the province, which was Rs105 billion less than what the province was going to receive from the federal government. \u201cWe collect taxes for the Center. But the latter reduced our share,\u201d he said, adding, \u201cThis will definitely adversely affect the development budget for the next FY. We planned to announce a surplus budget this year. However, the federal government\u2019s decision did not allow this to happen.\u201d
\nHe said that the provincial government was about to complete 1,400 development projects during the ongoing FY.
\nHe informed that Rs1,018 billion had been earmarked in the budget for development projects in the next FY.
\nThe chief minister said that as per the terms and conditions reached with the IMF, provinces have to save amounts rather than spending them.
\nHe further said that despite so many constraints, the provincial government announced 12 per cent raise in the salaries of government employees. \u201cThe officers of grade 17 and above will get a 10 per cent raise in their pay, while their pensions have been upped by eight per cent.\u201d
\nCM Murad said that education topped the list of the provincial government\u2019s priorities, followed by health. \u201cNext came the turn of local bodies and interior,\u201d he added.
\nHe went on to say that the budget for the energy sector was increased. \u201cWe have cut non-development expenditures.\u201d
\nThe chief minister informed that Rs103 billion would be spent on the education sector in the next financial year, while Rs132 billion on local government (LG).
\nHe said that there was less production of important crops this year. \u201cWe have also given priority to the agriculture sector in the budget.\u201d
\nCM Murad informed that there were special instructions from PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto to give priority to clean drinking water in the budget. \u201cAn amount of Rs90 billion has been set aside for water schemes.\u201d
\nHe told the media men that hefty amounts had also been allocated for Karachi in the budget.
\nHe lamented that the opposition raised a hue and cry over what it called a lesser allocation of money for Karachi. \u201cThis it did without going through the document. Read it properly and you will come to know what is written in it,\u201d he said, adding, \u201cKarachi is my city. And I have never thought of neglecting the city.\u201d
\nAnswering the objections raised by the opposition, the chief minister said that the construction of Shahrahe Bhutto had been completed up to Quaidabad locality of the city.
\n\u201cThe project will cost the government Rs65 billion,\u201d he said, and added, \u201cMarble City is another scheme which is meant for Karachi.\u201d
\n\u201cRs54 billion will be spent on different schemes in the port city under the public-private partnership,\u201d he informed.
\nThe chief minister informed that Rs236 billion would be spent on the provincial capital\u2019s development projects in the next fiscal year.
\nThe total volume of the next FY\u2019s budget is Rs3.45 trillion. \u201cOut of which, an amount of Rs1 trillion has been earmarked for development purposes.\u201d
\nHe informed that presently the provincial government\u2019s expenditures stood at Rs2.150 trillion. \u201cA large chunk of this amount is spent on the salaries and pensions of the government employees,\u201d he said, adding, \u201cRs1.1 trillion will be spent on the payment of salaries and pensions in the next financial year.\u201d
\nDespite difficulties, the CM went on to say, the provincial government took a difficult decision of increasing the salaries of its employees, from grade 1 to grade 16, by 12 per cent.
\n\u201cWe have allocated 11 per cent more amount for the health sector in the budget for the next FY,\u201d he said, adding, \u201cThe amount earmarked for the LG is up by five per cent; for home department by 15.50 per cent, and for the energy sector by 16:50 per cent.\u201d
\nLikewise, the chief minister added, the budget for the agriculture sector had been increased by Rs16 billion.
\nHe informed that under its housing scheme, the provincial government had so far allotted 500,000 homes to the deserving people, while 800,000 were near completion. \u201cThe World Bank MD has herself witnessed these homes,\u201d he said, adding, \u201cNot only were homes built, but the people were also given their ownership rights.\u201d
\nCM Murad claimed that nowhere in the world, the construction of houses had been completed at such a brisk pace.
\nHe informed that the government planned to provide clean drinking water to 45,000 villages in Sindh.
\nHe said that no new tax had been imposed in the budget. \u201cThe government has reduced tax on restaurants.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
KARACHI Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah has threatened that PPP will not support the federal budget if their demands, including withdrawal of proposed 18 percent tax on solar panels, are not fulfilled by the Centre. Addressing his post-budget press conference in Karachi on Saturday, CM Murad Ali Shah said \u201cSindh is not a […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-484234","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","6":"category-top-news"},"yoast_head":"\n