Imran Zakir
KARACHI: Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah said that Federal government will disclose COVID-19 vaccination agreements with all provincial governments, we are facing acute shortage of Vaccines in our supply chain in post budget press conference on Wednesday held at Sindh Assembly auditorium, here at Karachi.
The vaccine process in Sindh has also been disrupted since Tuesday. He said that business is opening in all over the country where vaccination has been done but the federal government does not allow Sindh to buy the vaccine. A vaccine supply is federal government responsibility.
He said that after looking at critical situation created by the pandemic, Sindh is the only province who established state of art hospital, Sind Institute of Infectious diseases at Karachi, where 3,049 patients were treated while 694 were died from COVID-19. He said an amount of ten billion rupees has been earmarked in the budget to support COVID-19 affectees.
While discussing the main features of Sind’s budget Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah said that we will create more than 30,000 jobs in the next financial year 2021. The Sindh government will complete the Gorakh Hill project as soon as possible and the Sindh government will provide all the funds required for its completion. While answering media questions after press briefing.
Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah said that the Prime Minister told me that we do not run PIMS. How will we run JPMC, NICH, NICVD hospitals. Many development projects are under way for Karachi having cost around Rs.991 billion for the ongoing projects. ICI and Maripur Bridge is constructed. Rs110 billion has been allocated for Karachi. This is less for this big city. If we had the resources, we would have given Rs3,000 billion. The remarks of the Chief Justice are honorable but judge speech must be related to judgment. We have not given the permission to construct Nasla Park, Allah Din Park, it’s our previous Govt. contribution.
Why Governor’s House for holding meetings for giving railway land to private developers?
On question regarding distribution of water, he said that why should I hold Punjab responsible. We were treated unfairly in the water agreement but ISRA is trying its best. The land given to the Baharia Town by the Supreme Court; Sindh’s money is lying in Bahria Town. I am law abiding citizen and respect the law that’s why the protesters FIR has been lodged by Sindh Govt. for damaging M-9 and for using anti-state slogans.
70% of the people of Sindh vote for PPP. He said that we have a budget of Rs14.77 trillion this year, the biggest source of revenue is the Sindh Revenue Board, which will get Rs 125 billion. We have set a revenue target of Rs150 billion next year. 82 million has been allocated for.
Earlier, addressing a post-budget press conference, the Sindh Chief Minister said that whistles were blown by PTI legislators in the Sindh Assembly yesterday and I presented a budget of Rs 1477 billion for the next financial year 21-2022. Our revenue is more than one trillion rupees while the budget for the next financial year is in deficit and we will have to work on how to meet it.
Hopefully we will get it too. We have to get Rs.869 billion from the federation.
This year, Rs.760 billion was promised. We have to get Rs.147 billion now. He said that Rs62 billion was to be received in the form of oil and gas royalty but this year it has been increased to Rs49 billion.
A total of Rs. 399billion will be collected in terms of tax collection. Even if the targets are not met, but will get closer. The excise target was Rs 88 billion, now the target is more than Rs100 billion. He said that due to the COVID, tax collection has been reduced and we will get more this year.
The Sindh Chief Minister said that the federal development grant is Rs 27 billion which has now been reduced to Rs5 billion. He said that current revenue expenditure is Rs1.4 trillion. 57% of salaries go to revenue. About 60% go to salaries. Rs6.5 billion will be given to universities.
The Chief Minister Sindh said that 12.5% has been allocated for non-development expenditure including maintenance and other expenses. The Sindh Chief Minister said that Rs.329 million has been earmarked for the development budget. Salary has been increased by 20%. An increase was necessary due to the high inflation.
The minimum wage has been fixed at Rs 25,000 and it is the highest in the country. He said an amount of two billion rupees has been earmarked for poverty alleviation programme through which business loans will be provided to youth.