Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC) council has approved a surplus budget of Rs49,602.138 million for the fiscal year 2024-25. The budget was presented by Mayor Karachi Barrister MurtazaWahab and received majority approval from the council on Monday. The newly sanctioned budget aims to address various developmental and infrastructural needs of the metropolis, with a significant focus on improving public services and urban management. Mayor Wahab highlighted key allocations and planned expenditures, emphasizing the administration’s commitment to enhancing the city’s livability and resilience. “This budget reflects our dedication to the progressive development of Karachi, ensuring better service delivery and infrastructural improvements that meet the needs of our growing population,” stated Mayor Wahab during the council meeting. The approval marks a crucial step for the KMC as it navigates financial and administrative challenges.
The council’s endorsement of the budget underscores a collective effort to prioritize sustainable urban development and efficient resource management in Pakistan’s largest city. Further details on specific projects and initiatives funded by the budget are expected to be outlined in the coming weeks as the KMC embarks on the new fiscal year. According to KMC information, the budget shows a surplus of Rs99.707 million. Deputy Mayor Karachi Salman Abdullah Murad, Municipal Commissioner SM AfzalZaidi, and other officials were also present on the occasion. The total income is estimated at Rs49,701.845 million, while the estimated expenditures are Rs49,602.138 million. Current Receipts are Rs39,718.132 million and capital receipts are Rs815.213 million, while funds for the District ADP are Rs9,168.500 million. Establishment expenses are estimated at Rs27,846.975 million, contingent expenses at Rs3,176.048 million, repair and maintenance at Rs424.355 million, and development projects/works at Rs8,986.260 million.
The estimated expenses for District ADP are Rs9,168.500 million. While presenting his first budget as Mayor, MrWahab emphasized the efforts to provide maximum facilities to citizens at the local level. Regarding development projects, he mentioned that funds had been allocated under the Federal PSDP Development Scheme 2024-25, with a total cost of Rs10,000 million for the Karachi Development Package. Rs103.256 million has been allocated for road maintenance and repair, Rs1,000 million for the improvement of sports grounds, Rs111.62 million for the beautification of parks, and Rs8,785.118 million for the repair and beautification of bridges, flyovers, and underpasses. Under the Annual Provincial Development Program Scheme, Phase I of the Mewa Shah Cemetery and its surroundings has been completed at a cost of Rs200.920 million, with work on Phase II to be completed in this fiscal year. Shaheed-e-Millat Expressway KPT Flyover to Manzoor Colony Phase I scheme has been completed at a cost of Rs516.000 million, with work on Phase II ongoing and expected to be completed within this fiscal year. Additionally, 125 schemes worth Rs6,500 million are under construction.
For 2024-25, 162 new schemes under the Provincial ADP are proposed at an estimated cost of Rs. 5,788.100 million. More than 150 roads, flyovers, bridges, sidewalks, service roads, pedestrian bridges, and entry and exit streets have been constructed and renovated under the CLICK project at a cost of Rs. 2,825 million. Proposed schemes under the CLICK project for 2024-25 amount to Rs. 6,476.400 million. These include the installation of solar-powered LED street lights on three major roads with five years of maintenance, the renovation of Shadab Football Ground Block 11 Federal B Area, the renovation of Baldia Stadium in Baldia Town, the construction of IT Park and Center in Shadman Town, the construction of Memon Goth Road in Malir, the road behind Malir Court to MurtazaChowk, the construction of a football and cricket ground in UC 3 MauripurKeamari, and the construction of a community center in UC 7 MuradMemon Goth. In the Annual Development Program District ADP 2023-24, 542 ongoing schemes required Rs. 2,687 million, but only Rs. 1,232 million were released, resulting in a shortfall of Rs. 1,455 million. Despite this, KMC completed 64 development schemes of roads, bridges, flyovers, and buildings in various districts. No new schemes were included in the budget for 2023-24, and Rs. 1.2 billion provided by the Sindh government will be available this fiscal year, to be spent on development works across the city fairly after council approval.
For 2024-25, efforts will be made to complete 480 ongoing schemes requiring Rs. 5,852 million. Mayor Wahab highlighted Karachi’s chronic water shortage issue, addressing it through the construction of a new canal from Hub Dam and repairing the old canal, establishing an infrastructure to provide 200 million gallons daily from Hub to Karachi. Children’s wards, gynecology wards, and emergency wards have been established in AbbasiShaheed Hospital, dental units in SarfrazRafiquiShaheed Hospital and Spencer Eye Hospital, while Karachi Institute of Kidney Diseases has been expanded with a new floor and new medical equipment. Spencer Eye Hospital, which had been closed, has been reactivated for eye treatments, and Gizri Maternity Home has been reopened with a dental unit and a nursery for newborns. Karachi Institute of Heart Diseases now has a nursing school with 270 students, 130 of whom receive free education. AbbasiShaheed Hospital’s nursing school will also be activated. The establishment of a blue ward in KIHD has improved emergency medical services.
Transforming Karachi Medical and Dental College into Metropolitan University was a long-standing dream realized with support from the People’s Party’s Sindh government. A project to reintroduce 25 green buses in Karachi at a cost of Rs. 250 million is underway, with a prototype bus already prepared. Significant expenditures on street light infrastructure and maintenance will shift to solar power on three major roads. The Sindh government increased the UC grant from Rs500,000 to Rs1,200,000 to empower UC chairmen for better local government administration, which will also improve revenue.
To meet environmental demands, large-scale tree planting and urban forest creation are planned at Gutter Baghicha and Lyari River similar to Kidney Hill. Efforts continue to construct a city council hall in Bagh-e-Karachi, using only one percent of its area, and to restore and greenify small and large parks. The issue of Municipal Utility Charges, which had been under court consideration for years, has been resolved in KMC’s favor, potentially generating Rs4 billion in revenue for the city. KMC’s tax system is being modernized, and the public-private partnership model will be used to maximize asset utilization, crucial for establishing a sustainable infrastructure. To address the issue of blocked storm water drains, cleaning of 46 major drains is underway.
The sale and use of plastic bags, which clog drainage systems and harm the environment and sea, should be completely banned. KMC has focused on improving departmental performance, and for the next fiscal year, Rs10,802.280 million is allocated for pension funds, other miscellaneous expenses, and bailout packages, Rs6,948.408 million for medical and health services, Rs4,930.843 million for municipal services, Rs2,545.178 million for the engineering department, Rs. 1,900.036 million for revenue departments including land enforcement, estate, KatchiAbadi, PD Orangi, and charged parking, Rs. 1,598.879 million for parks horticulture, Rs1,321.852 million for cultural sports and recreation, Rs993.933 million for finance and accounts (MUCT), Rs. 235.793 million for the law department, Rs6,476.400 million from CLIP (World Bank Funded Project), Rs. 124.714 million for enterprise and investment promotion, Rs98.091 million for information technology, Rs56.260 million for terminals/transport and communication, and Rs9,168.500 million for District ADP. For the 2024-25 budget, expected revenue estimates include Rs25,054.245 million from government grants including OZT share, Rs1,850 million from K-Electric’s dues to KMC, and Rs9,168.500 million from District ADP. Revenue recovery from various departments, with the most significant from the land department at Rs1,026 million.
