The Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC) has approved a budget of Rs 25,982.414 million for the next financial year 2021-22 with a surplus of Rs 11.947 million as the expenditures are estimated at about Rs 25,970.467 million.
Administrator Karachi Laiq Ahmed on Tuesday approved the budget using the powers of the city council under the notification of the Sindh government. No new tax has been imposed in the budget.
Metropolitan Commissioner Danish Saeed, Finance Advisor Ghulam Murtaza Bhutto, Senior Director Coordination Khalid Khan, Senior Director Finance and Accounts Rashid Nizam, Director Budget Nasir Mahmood, Director Welfare Mahmood Baig, Director Planning Afaq Mirza and other officials were also present on the occasion.
The Administrator Karachi said that for the next financial year, priority was given to those development schemes which are in the public interest.
“Non-development schemes are kept to a minimum while new and ongoing projects of roads, gardens, playgrounds and sports complexes have been added to improve the infrastructure of Karachi,” he added Ahmed said that 200 schemes which were started during the last financial year under the Annual Development Program, will be expedited and completed next year to facilitate the citizens.
“The KMC budget for the next financial year will be balanced and will lead to the development and improvement of the city and through it the process of improving the infrastructure in the city will continue,” the Administrator hoped.
He said the focus would be on achieving the projected revenue targets during the financial year 2021-22 and keeping non-development expenditure to a minimum while focusing on development works.
Ahmed said that with the onset of the monsoon season, priority will be given to the schemes which are expected to provide relief to the citizens this season.
The process of cleaning the storm drains is underway and will continue in the future as well, he added.
He said the focus would be on achieving the projected revenue targets during the financial year 2021-22 and keeping non-development expenditure to a minimum while focusing on development works.
“Funds have been allocated to different departments according to their responsibilities, most of which are allocated to the Department of Medical and Health to provide better and quality treatment to the citizens,” he said.
The Administrator said that in order to provide recreational facilities, all important places of Karachi including Zoo, Hill Park, Kidney Hill Park, Bagh e Ibn Qasim will be improved while a total of 45 parks of KMC be developed. Fire brigade will also be equipped with the necessary equipment.
The largest source of revenue in the KMC budget is the OZT share and grant-in-Aid of Rs. 15.07 billion from Sindh government while the District ADP is expected to collect more than Rs. 5 billion.
In the budget of the next financial year a total of Rs. 2,451.803 million has been allocated for development works besides allocation of funds for district ADP.
The estimated collection from the revenue departments of KMC is Rs. 1.70 billion and the estimated collection from the MUCT department is Rs. 1.00 billion. Outstanding dues of Rs 1.85 billion on K Electric and Rs 100 million on KPT are shown in the budget.
Similarly, in terms of expected revenue during the next financial year, Rs. 1.53 billion from World Bank Funded Project Click, Rs. 184.7 million from Culture, Sports and Recreation; and Rs. 261.5 million from Transport and Communication. Rs 222.9 million from veterinary services; Rs 201 million from municipal services, Rs 100 million in terms of income transfer from SBCA, Rs 95 million from Engineering Department, Rs 81.4 million from Medical and Health Services; Rs 35.78 million from Parks and Horticulture; Rs 15.62 million from Enterprise and Investment Promotion; Rs 1 million from Secretariat and Rs 0.100 million from Information Technology was expected to be generated.
The largest expenditure of over Rs.5 billion has been allocated for the Department of Medical and Health Services, while the expenditure under District ADP is estimated at Rs.5.00 billion and Rs.4.90 billion was shown in the budget details for debit servicing, transfer funds for pension and other miscellaneous expenses.
