Sindh government has raised the salaries of government employees by 20% setting minimum wage at Rs 25,000 in its Rs 1.4 trillion budget presented in the Sindh Assembly on Tuesday (today).
CM Sindh Murad Ali Shah presented the Rs 1.4 trillion provincial budget for FY2021-22 in Sindh Assembly. Sindh government has claimed that ‘no new taxes’ have been introduced in the new budget.
During his budget speech, CM Sindh noted that said that budget making was always a daunting task, especially when the global economy was suffering from pandemic and uncertainty, and when there were serious resource constraints. He added that the monsoon season had brought heavy rainfall to Karachi than on previous occasions.
The Rs 1.4 trillion budget incorporates a grant of Rs 105 billion for law and order, Rs 172 billion for health, Rs 215 billion for school education along with Rs 25 billion for college education.
Rs 14 billion have been allocated for transport, Rs 75 billion – local bodies, Rs 53 billion – irrigation department.
Most notably government employees’ salaries have been increase by 20%, whereas minimum wage in the province have also been increased to Rs 25,000; said Sindh government spokesperson Murtaza Wahab.
A special grant of Rs 24 billion has been proposed for 10 projects in Karachi.
Meanwhile, Rs 222 billion have been proposed for provincial development programme.
Meanwhile, Rs 222 billion have been proposed for provincial development programme with around 55% of the total Rs 1.4 trillion provincial budget to be spent in education, health and the law and order domains.
Salient Features Of Sindh’s FY2021-22 Budget
- The total Budget outlay of the province is of Rs.1,477.903 billion
- The Provincial Budget has been increased by the 19.1%
- The total Receipt of the province is estimated to Rs.1,452.168 billion
- The Provincial own Receipts are anticipated to Rs.329.319 billion
- The recurrent expenditure of the province is estimated to Rs.1,089.372 billion
- The development expenditure of the province is anticipated to Rs.329.033 billion
- The development expenditure has been increased by 41.3%
- The Provincial ADP has been kept at Rs.222.500 billion
- The Provincial ADP has been increased by 43.5%
- The District ADP has been pitched at Rs.30.00 billion
- The District ADP has been increased by 100%
- Pro-Poor Social Protection & Economic Sustainability Package of Rs.30.90 billion to support the deserving persons and revival of the economy.
- Rs.3.00 billion has been allocated for revival of Agriculture sector.
- Rs.16.00 billion has been kept for Social Welfare of the citizens.
- Rs.3.20 billion has been earmarked for Education sector.
- Rs.1.70 billion has been allocated for revamping of IT sector.
- Rs.3 billion has been kept for Industrial development through SMEs.
- Rs.2.00 billion has been Low cost housing.
- Rs.1.00 billion has been earmarked for Livestock & Fisheries support.
- Rs.500 million has been kept for Women Agriculture workers.
- Rs.500 million has been allocated for Special Children Fund.
- The recurrent allocation for Education sector has been kept at Rs.277.56 billion in next FY 2021-
- The recurrent budget of Education has been increased by 14.2%
- Rs.6.623 billion has been allocated for purchase of school furniture.
- Rs.5.00 billion has been allocated for renovation of schools in the province.
- Rs.425 million has been allocated for repair and maintenance of colleges in the province.
- The development budget for Education sector has been earmarked at Rs.26.00 billion for NFY 2021-22.
- The recurrent allocation for Health services allocation has been kept at Rs.172.08 billion in FY 2021-22.
- The recurrent budget for Health services has been increased by 29.5%
- Rs.24.73 billion has been allocated to combat COVID-19 pandemic in the province. The allocation includes Health Risk Allowance.
- The grant to SIUT has been increased by 27% to Rs.7.12 billion.
- The development budget for Health has been earmarked at Rs.18.50 billion
- Rs.119.97 billion has been allocated on recurrent side to maintain the Law & Order in the Province.
- The recurrent allocation Local Government budget has been increased by 31.3% to Rs.10.48 billion.
- The development budget for Local Government has been kept at Rs.25.500 billion
- The recurrent allocation for Public Health Engineering has been kept at Rs.7.52 billion
- The recurrent allocation for Social Welfare department has been allocated to Rs.18.61 billion
- The recurrent allocation of Rehabilitation department has been enhanced by 60.9% to Rs.1.840 billion
- The allocation for women development department has been increased by 64.1% to Rs.571.97 million
Furthermore, CM Murad Ali Shah also accentuated various programmes and initiatives undertaken by provincial government including allocation of Rs.644.9 million for TB Control Programme, Rs.1.4 billion for Lady Health Worker (LHW), Rs.2.04 billion for Prevention & Control of Hepatitis, Rs.315.9 million for Maternal, Neonatal and Child Health Program, Rs.309.8 million for Malaria Control, Rs.2.5 billion for EPI, Rs.288.7 million for Sindh AIDS Control Program, Rs.57.9 million for Prevention and Control Program for Dengue, Rs.76.8 million for Prevention and Control of Blindness and others.
