SINDH Chief Minister, Syed Murad Ali Shah, who also holds the portfolio of Finance Minister, presented in the provincial assembly Rs 1.47 trillion tax-free, people-oriented budget for the next financial year.
The budgetary proposals envisage an increase of 41% in development outlay (Rs 329 billion against 232 billion in the outgoing year), increased allocations for health and education and huge allocations for mega projects to help resolve some of the chronic problems of the provincial metropolis.
The PPP’s Sindh Government has lived up to its reputation of being pro-Government servants as it announced a substantial increase in salaries of the public-sector employees, a special allowance for low-paid employees up to pay- scale five and a reasonable hike in the minimum wages.
As against the Federal and Punjab Governments, which granted just 10% increase in pay and pension that is being resented, Syed Murad Ali Shah announced an increase of 20% in pay, 10% in pension and set the minimum wage at Rs 25,000 (as against Rs 20,000 by the Federal and Punjab Governments).
Last year too, Sindh raised salaries by 10% while the Federal Government ignored the plight of Government servants and with the latest increase the employees of Sindh Government would be getting much higher salaries and allowances than their counterparts in Federal, Punjab and KP Governments.
It is also appreciable that at a time when elsewhere in the country departments and vacant posts are being abolished, Sindh has announced to create new posts especially in health and education during the next financial year.
Sindh has also taken the lead in allocating Rs 7.6 billion for purchase of environment-friendly diesel hybrid electric buses.
A pro-poor social protection and economic sustainability package of Rs30.90 billion has been kept in the budget to support the deserving persons and revival of the economy.
It is an undeniable fact that the Sindh Government has unveiled the best possible budget in the prevailing conditions but there are some issues that need to be taken up seriously by the Chief Minister as well as the Federal Government.
Sindh has not an enviable record of proper and full utilization of the development budget and the CM has complained about low federal transfers and these issues need to be sorted out to ensure trickle-down effect of the budgetary proposals.
