Chief Minister Sindh Syed Murad Ali Shah on Saturday sought a release of Rs 140 billion from the federal government, saying the province had received only Rs492.1 billion out of its financial share of Rs631 billion. Speaking at a post-budget 2019-20 press conference, he said Sindh received Rs492.1 billion out of Rs631 billion till May 31, 2019, as the federal government has still to release Rs 140 billion to the province. He said his government evolved the fiscal budget 2019-20 keeping in view Sindh's income share that the federal government will pay to it to the tune of Rs835 billion.
"It is a balanced budget, which neither deficit nor surplus," he said, adding Sindh budget outlay stood at Rs 1.2 trillion, allocating 28 percent of it for development and 71 percent for non-development expenditures for the next fiscal year. For the education sector, the government proposes 18 percent higher allocations to Rs 220 billion for education sector, 19 percent more to the health sector, 76 percent bigger chunk to the special education and 57 percent more funds to the law and order in the next budget 2019-20.
In the federal PSDP share, he said, Sindh was given only 3.5 percent out of Rs951 billion, adding the government was expected to receive Rs 228 billion for development portfolio, Rs 20 billion for district ADP, Rs51 billion for FPA and Rs4.9 billion for the federal PSDF, this year. "We have allocated 78 percent funds in the budget for the continuing projects and 22 percent for new schemes," Murad said.
He lamented the federal government's attitude towards the provinces, saying "the federation's attitude towards the provinces is extremely sad". He said Sindh was informed on May 30 that the federal government will release Rs666 billion, then on June 4 in a letter the centre reduced the amount to Rs662 billion but in the fiscal budget the PTI government announced Rs631 billion. He said the he faced the worst uncertain period in his 10-year budget making.
By April 30, the Sindh government made Rs 137 billion budgetary spending, saying "we will spend Rs 100 billion less in ADP this year". Similarly, he said, the government had reduced the funds in budget for the irrigation sector to Rs 22 billion from Rs 28 billion. He also showed doubts that the federal government had allocated Rs45 billion for Karachi in its fiscal budget. He called the PTI government 'incompetent' as its poor governance would make the public suffer more.
Chief Minister Sindh also defended his government's increase in tax rate in the fiscal budget, saying the taxation would not hurt the general public since it was aimed at targeting services sectors. He said the government would soon enshrine other parts of Sindh into the tax net. He also announced to set up the Public Safety Commission at earliest, as implementation will start on the Police Order 2002 next week. Murad also regretted the opposition noisy protest during his budget speech, saying it was 'intolerable' but vowed to give them an opportunity during the post-budget debate.
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