KARACHI: The Chief Minister, Syed Murad Ali Shah, here Saturday announced the provincial budget with a total development outlay of Rs697.2 billion.
This total development outlay includes Rs 380.5 billion for Provincial ADP, Rs.30 billion for District ADP, Rs266.7bn Foreign Project Assistance (FPA) and Rs20bn federal PSDAP. An amount of Rs291.727 billion has been allocated for 3,311 ongoing schemes and Rs.88.273 billion for 1,937 new schemes.
Eighty percent of development funds are allocated for the ongoing schemes so that they could be completed.
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The focus of the development budget for FY 2023-24 is to capitalize on the current portfolio in the aftermath of the flood situation and initiate new projects, particularly in those sectors which cater to the rehabilitation of infrastructure that was damaged during the heavy rains and floods in 2022.
Throw-forward for the entire portfolio in provincial ADP 2023-24 as of 1st July 2023 is Rs.1,095 billion; whereas, the size of foreign project assistance has increased from Rs.91.47 billion in 2022-23 to Rs.266.691 billion in ADP 2023-24. It is mainly due to initiating new projects for rehabilitation and reconstruction of flood-damaged infrastructure in order to address livelihood, reconstruction of housing, education, health, irrigation, road network, and water & sanitation.
It may be noted that during FY 2022-23, the total development outlay was Rs.459.5 billion that included Rs.332 billion for the Provincial Annual Development Program (ADP), Rs.30 billion for District ADP, Rs.91.5 billion from Foreign Project Assistance (FPA) and a grant from Federal PSDP of Rs.6 billion for the schemes being executed by the Sindh government.
An expenditure of Rs.226 billion is estimated against the Rs332 billion Provincial ADP, including Rs.18 billion in District ADP. In addition, Rs.74 billion is the expected expenditure of FPA. In the financial year 2022-23, 772 schemes included in ADP 2022-23 were completed in various sectors: education, agriculture, irrigation, water & sanitation, and road. A large number of completed schemes is in the road sector relating to new construction & improvement of roads in various districts.
Sindh province faced the huge impact of record torrential rains and floods in 2022 which resulted in damages to 2.1 million houses. The floods also destroyed 3.8 million acres of crops. As per the Post-Disaster Needs Assessment (PDNA), the preliminary damages were $20.5 billion. The Government of Sindh prepared the “Sindh Strategic Action Plan for Floods 2022”, aligned with the contours of the resilient recovery, rehabilitation, and reconstruction (4R) framework.
The Government of Sindh’s response to disastrous floods was quick and all-inclusive and it mobilized its resources through Provincial Disaster Management Authority, irrigation, works & services departments, and district administration. Rs.117.4 billion was spent in FY 2022-23 on flood relief and rehabilitation from Government’s own resources. In addition, the Government of Sindh signed six projects of US$ 2,307.28 million with World Bank, Asian Development Bank, and Islamic Development Bank for flood rehabilitation and reconstruction; so that damaged infrastructure, livelihood, and compensation to the affected population are complemented and accelerated.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2023