Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah, who also holds the portfolio of Provincial Finance Minister, will present the Sindh budget for the next financial year 2023-24 today. A post-budget press conference is also planned for June 11. Meanwhile, Finance Minister Ishaq Dar will present the federal budget for the next fiscal year today with a total outlay of Rs 13,800 billion.Sources indicated that the budget size will exceed Rs 13,800 billion, while the budget deficit is expected to be more than Rs 6,000 billion, with expenses of Rs 7,300 billion allocated to pay debt.
Sources regarding the budget’s framework revealed that an estimated Rs 9,200 billion may be generated from tax revenue, while non-tax revenue may reach Rs 2,800 billion, while the Rs 1,300 billion could be allocated for subsidies. The sources maintained that the developmental budget for the upcoming fiscal year is estimated at Rs 1,150 billion. Furthermore, the provinces are expected to receive Rs 5,244 billion from the national divisible pool, while defense expenses are estimated to exceed Rs 1,800 billion.
There is a possibility of a 20-30 per cent increase in salaries for government employees in the upcoming federal budget, along with a 20 per cent increase in pensions. Moreover, the govt likely to allocation over Rs 700 billion for pensions.
