KARACHI: Opposition leader in the Sindh Assembly Haleem Adil Sheikh on Monday slammed the “imported” government for economic “collapse” in the country, saying that corruption has grown in the PPP rule.

Commenting on the Sindh fiscal budget 2022-23, he asked the PPP government to explain as to how it will spend more on development in the next financial year since funds worth billions of rupees lapsed as unutilised.

“ADP allocations in budget is Rs259 billion,” he said that what made the increase in the development programme funds as the current fiscal ADP remained billions of rupees short from spending.

He told the house that the PTI’s federal government released Rs37 billion more to Sindh while the PPP government made Rs50 billion less spending. “In PTI tenure, Sindh could not get its tax targets,” he added.

Sindh will receive Rs150 billion more from the coalition government next fiscal year, he again questioned whether how the PPP rule will make more spending in the development.

During his speech, Haleem remained critical and doubtful of the Sindh government’s abilities and good faith to develop the province. “The Sindh government failed to spur its revenue growth,” he added.

Over the past 14 years, he said, a total outlay of the fiscal budgets was Rs10389 billion of which a fund of Rs8414 billions earmarked for non-development expenditures and an allocation of Rs1975 were made for development schemes.

“Corruption of Rs1400 billion gnawed,” he alleged, citing a report that 44 percent of the development work of the Sindh government remained substandard. With Syed Murad Ali Shah becoming the Chief Minister Sindh, he said that the corruption has sped up.

The opposition leader said that street crimes are on the rise with disorder in the province but the PPP government purchased Rs130 million of teargas. “I cannot see a GDP growth beyond 5 percent with the “imported bagger” government in place,” he added.

He asked the Sindh government to reply as to whom will be held accountable for 5000 schools made “wrong”. The jail systems are operated by inmates, he said that the Sindh government has spared only Rs500 million for the fishermen well-being.

He questioned whether the public will continue to purchase water from tankers or they may get it through fixed pipelines. Similarly, he said that how long the poor farmers will struggle to irrigate their fields.

MQM’s parliamentary leader, Kanwar Naveed Jamil said that the Sindh government ignored a recommend uplift schemes in the budget, which his party had set forth. Despite, Karachi contributes over 70 percent revenue to the total national collections.

“Karachi stands amongst the worst cities of the world,” he told the assembly, saying that the city’s contribution of Rs250 billion annually to the national exchequer, there are no uplift schemes it could receive.

He asked the Chief Minister Sindh to help solve problems of the urban centres of the province. “This will not be a favour since people pay taxes,” he added that people of the metropolis pay bills but struggle to get water through the fixed pipelines.

Sindh Information Minister, Sharjeel Inam Memon said that the government sensed to introduce more buses for the public transportation following a fuel oil price surge.

He demanded of the federal government to make Karachi Circular Railway a part of the CPEC projects and hand over to the Sindh government. He said that intracity bus system has started, lauding Asif Ali Zardari and Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari for the transportation network.

A BRT system for Hyderabad is also underway, he said Thar the Peoples Bus Service has also been started. He sought propositions from the opposition legislators to the fiscal budget, saying that if they are feasible will be made part of the fiscal plan.

PPP’s Provincial Minister, Saeed Ghani said that the government is struggling to help issue a labour card though the process is slowdown. The Sindh government us the first province to fix the minimum wage of Rs25000 a month.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2022

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