With the Sindh government announcing pro-poor social protection and economic sustainability initiatives in its new budget, the Sindh Chief Secretary (CS) Syed Mumtaz Ali Shah presided over a meeting on Friday for the implementation of the plan and the utilisation of Rs34.2 billion allocated for the purpose.
Addressing the meeting, the Chief Secretary Sindh said that the provincial government had decided to transfer cash to the covid-19 and rain effected people of the province. In this regard he constituted a three-member committee headed by the Haris Gazdar to collect data of rain affected people of the rain affected districts within three days and verify the same from NADRA. The Chief Secretary Sindh further stated that the government had allocated these funds to help the citizens affected by the coronavirus pandemic. He added that the provincial government was aiming to ensure food security, reduced inflation and unemployment. Syed Mumtaz Ali Shah said that Rs20 billion was earmarked for cash transfers to the affectees under the Sindh Peoples Support Programme through the Social Protection Strategic Unit and Social Welfare Department. Meanwhile, Rs5 billion has been dedicated for a soft loan programme for small and medium enterprises.
He further apprised the meeting that subsidies of Rs1 billion would be offered to purchase rice seeds, Rs1 billion for pesticides and another Rs1 billion for fertilisers for farmers with small land holdings. He directed the agriculture secretary to develop a mechanism for each type of subsidy.
“Rs500 million have been set aside to support technology-based startups, incubators, and accelerators,” he mentioned, adding that another Rs700 million had been set aside to support information technology innovations.
Meanwhile, the special assistant to the chief minister on social protection, Haris Gazdar, informed the meeting that data to help those affected by the crisis is being collected from various sources. It was also informed in the meeting that registration drive will begin in 10 UCs of Karachi Division as pilot in next week and rest of Sindh by end October.
A special number “Sindh Social Registry number” will be issued to people through which people will be able to register though mobile and after verification from NADRA the cash payment will begin from the November.
