Education sector kept as ‘top priority’; Revenue expenditures would be Rs1,199,445.4m
Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah on Tuesday presented the provincial ‘pro-poor ‘ deficit budget with a total outlay of Rs1.713 trillion for fiscal year 2022-23.
According to the chief minister, the total receipts of the provincial government for the next financial year would amount to Rs1,679,734.8 against the expenditures of Rs1,713,583.1, which is a deficit of Rs33.848 billion.
Shah, in his budget speech, told the house that the overall revenue receipts would come to Rs1,679,734.8 billion, including Rs1.055billion federal transfers, Rs374.5 billion provincial receipts (Rs167.5 billion provincial tax receipts excluding GST on services, Rs180 billion provincial sales tax on services and Rs27,000 million provincial non-tax receipts), Rs51,132.8 million current capital receipts, Rs105,567.5 million other transfers such as foreign project assistance, federal grants and foreign grants and Rs20,000 million carry over cash balance and public accounts of the province.
He added that the provincial tax collecting organisations would achieve their collection targets such as Sindh Revenue Board’s (SRB) Rs180 billion, Excise & Taxation’s Rs1.20 billion and Board of Revenue’s Rs30 billion.
The chief minister said that the current revenue expenditures for the next financial year would be Rs1,199,445.4 million, Current capital expenditures Rs54.48 billion, development portfolio Rs459.65 billion, including Rs332.165 billion provincial ADP, Rs30 billion district ADP, and Rs91.467 billion Foreign Assistance Project (FAP) and Rs6.02 billion other federal grants.
According to the CM, the provincial government, during the 11 months (July to May) of the outgoing financial year, has received Rs716 billion against a share of Rs732 billion which shows a shortfall of Rs16 billion.
Murad added that his government, during the said period, received Rs45 billion in straight transfers and in OZT by receiving Rs18.9 billion against a share of Rs19.7 billion.
The provincial government has allocated Rs332.165 billion for Annual Development Program (ADP) 2022-23 while it was Rs222.5 billion during the outgoing year. The district ADP size has been kept at Rs30 billion as was done during the current financial year.
The chief minister disclosed that 4,158 schemes, including 2,506 ongoing and 1,652 new schemes have been given an allocation of Rs332.165 billion. He added that the 2,506 ongoing schemes have been given 76 per cent of funds or Rs253.146 billion and the 1,652 new schemes have been allocated 24 per cent of funds or Rs79.019 billion.
The CM also announced that 1,510 schemes would be completed in FY 2022-23
During the budget session, the provincial chief executive announced Rs26.850 billion for a ‘pro-poor, social protection and economic sustainability package’.
The chief minister announced that Adhoc Relief Allowances 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2021 at the rates admissible to employees of the federal government were being merged and the Revised Basic Pay Scale 2022 for Civil Servants of Sindh government was being introduced on the pattern of the federal government.
He also announced Adhoc Relief Allowance at the rate of 15 per cent of basic pay scales to government servants from July 1, 2022.
“Disparity Allowance at the rate of 33 per cent of basic pay will be paid to civil servants in BPS-1 to 16 and at the rate of 30 per cent to civil servants in BPS-17 and above in lieu of the differential rate of Ad-hoc Relief Allowances 2013, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020 & 2021, which are being abolished from July, 2022,” he said.
He further announced that all provinces have not presented their budgets yet and “if they decide to increase the salaries of their employees more than the employees of the Sindh government, we would take decisions accordingly though the salaries and pensions of our employees are better than the employees of other provinces”.
