Sindh PA passes budget; opposition’s calls rejected

KARACHI: The Sindh Assembly on Wednesday passed Rs2.248 trillion fiscal budget 2023-24 and rejected the opposition’s austerity calls.

The house also approved Rs312 billion of a supplementary budget for the fiscal year 2022-23. A total Rs700 billion of uplift expenditure this budget allocates under the annual development program.

MQM-P proposed about Rs312 billion of cuts in the fiscal budget and called it “additional” expenditures on the economy. However, the PPP with its majority in the house rejected the MQM’s cut-motions.

The federal government has agreed to provide Rs27 billion for the rehabilitation of schools and houses damaged in floods last year, Chief Minister Sindh, Syed Murad Ali Shah told the house.

The federal government will develop 2.1 billion houses for the flood-affected people in the province, he said adding that his party’s rule has also earmarked Rs25 billion for the Sindh housing scheme.

The federal government has also approved to provide 50 percent share of the total cost for the K-IV water project, he said and told the legislature about the budget deficit swelling to Rs42 billion.

“Talks between the federal and Sindh governments were under way,” he said that an agreement finally reached in this regard and also informed the house that the federal government will also provide Rs2 billion for schools rehabilitation.

MQM’s Rashid Khilji called the annual purchase of furniture for the government offices “burden” on the economy while presenting his cut motion. He asked the PPP government to end such a tradition.

Hamid uz Zafar of the MQM also called for an end to budgetary expenses on gifts and entertainment for the commissioner secretariat and called such allocations “unnecessary”.

Cut motions on budget expenditures by MQM’s Ali Khurshidi and Hashim Raza were also voted out during last session of the assembly.

The assembly also adopted a resolution to pay homage to the former PPP Chairwoman and twice premier, late Benazir Bhutto on her 70th birthday. She was eulogized for her services to the nation.

The resolution was presented by former Chief Minister Sindh Syed Qaim Ali Shah, saying that Benazir Bhutto was the first premier from the Muslim world and shined Pakistan’s image globally.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2023