Sindh cabinet on Saturday accorded approval of Rs2.24 trillion provincial budget for the upcoming fiscal year 2023-24.
Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah, presided over the pre-budget meeting in Karachi.
During the meeting Murad Ali Shah discussed the Sindh government’s performance over the past five years.
This marks the final pre-budget cabinet meeting of the current five-year tenure of the Sindh government.
The Chief Minister also expressed gratitude to Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari for his guidance, highlighting the participation of the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) in local body elections.
Syed Murad Ali Shah, who also holds the portfolio of Provincial Finance Minister will present the budgetary proposals.
According to sources, the total size of the budget has been estimated at a staggering 2100 billion rupees. Out of this significant amount, 410 billion rupees have been specifically earmarked for development purposes.
One of the major highlights of the proposed budget is the potential salary increase for government employees.
35% increase in salaries
The Sindh cabinet greenlit a notable 35% raise in the salaries of provincial government employees, effective across multiple grade levels.
Employees falling within grade 1 to 16 will benefit from the full 35% raise, while government officers positioned in grades 17 to 22 can anticipate a commendable 30% increase in their salaries.
Moreover, the budget underscores the province’s commitment to rebuilding and rehabilitating infrastructure that suffered damages during the devastating monsoons and floods in 2022.
In addition to these key points, reports reveal that the development budget has set aside a substantial amount of 291.727 billion rupees for 3,311 ongoing schemes across the province.
As the chief architect of the budget, Syed Murad Ali Shah will outline the government’s vision for the fiscal year ahead and present a comprehensive plan to achieve the outlined goals.
A post-budget press conference is also planned for June 11.
