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Express Tribune
01-07-2025
- Business
- Express Tribune
Next quarter to see massive projects: Sharjeel
Sindh Senior Minister Sharjeel Inam Memon has announced that 4,400 teachers would be recruited, four new IBA community colleges would be set up, and the provision of financial autonomy to 34,000 schools would begin in the next quarter of the year. He also said that thousands of deserving students would receive scholarships through the Sindh Education Endowment Fund. He mentioned that funds are being released on a priority basis to allocate a substantial amount of Rs326.5 billion for the health sector. The expansion of SIUT, PPHI, NICVD, and Chandka Medical College Hospital, along with the upgrading of ambulance services, is the government's top priorities. He said that under the special development package allocated for Karachi, road, water, sewage, and mass transit projects will commence soon. Additionally, following the introduction of 50 electric buses, another 100 buses will be deployed on the roads by August. The process of providing subsidies to 200,000 farmers under the Benazir Hari Card is also being initiated in a phased manner.
Express Tribune
26-06-2025
- Business
- Express Tribune
Rs3. 45 trillion budget sails through provincial house
Out of the 168 lawmakers of the Sindh Assembly, only 58 were present on Tuesday. PHOTO: ONLINE The Sindh Assembly on Wednesday approved the Rs3.45 trillion budget for the fiscal year 2025-26 — a 12.9% increase from last year. It also passed a supplementary budget of Rs156.069 billion for the current fiscal year 2024-25. Presenting the Sindh Finance Bill, Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah highlighted the government's reform initiatives, including digitisation of land records using blockchain, birth registration via mobile apps, farmers' access to loans through the Sindh Cooperative Bank, and the launch of a one-stop land transfer system. The budget earmarks Rs43 billion for new ad-hoc relief allowances for government employees and Rs16 billion for a 15% pension increase. A total of 188 demands for grants were presented, with the opposition submitting 2,002 cut motions, all of which were rejected by majority vote - except one joint motion against the special judicial allowance, which was unanimously passed by both opposition and treasury benches. Key budget allocations include Rs42.2 billion for public universities, Rs10.4 billion for medical education, Rs5.2 billion for ambulance services under the Sindh Emergency Health Services, and Rs5 billion for the "Inclusive City" initiative for persons with disabilities. Development expenditure has been set at Rs1,018.3 billion (30% of the total budget), with current revenue expenditure estimated at Rs2,150 billion. Salaries account for 39% of the budget, non-salary operations for 19%, and pensions for 13%. The Sindh government expects to generate Rs3,111.5 billion in revenues during FY2025-26 - a 21.4% increase from the revised estimates of the previous year. Over the next three years, the province anticipates an average annual revenue growth of 12.5%. If the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) achieves its Rs14.131 trillion target, Sindh is likely to receive Rs269 billion in federal transfers. The CM also outlined key developmental priorities including, Rs8 billion for Benazir Hari Card (agricultural subsidies); Rs1.8 billion for livestock breeding; subsidies for solar-powered tube wells and drip irrigation; Rs2 billion for low-income housing; Rs2 billion for the Sindh Peoples Support Programme; Rs200 million for orphans and widows, and Rs500 million per project to empower women in agriculture and SMEs In health, allocations include Rs4.5 billion for an SIUT center in Larkana, Rs21 billion for SIUT, Rs23 billion for NICVD, Rs16.5 billion for PPHI, and Rs10 billion for a new hospital in Larkana. Another Rs10 billion have been allocated for the Dhabeji-DHA water pipeline and Rs3.1 billion for the Hub Canal. Rs25 billion is earmarked for green energy, and Rs45 billion for SDG-aligned public health projects.
Express Tribune
22-06-2025
- Health
- Express Tribune
Budget debate focuses on govt's performance
The Sindh Assembly continued its debate on the provincial budget for the fifth consecutive day on Saturday. The session, chaired by Deputy Speaker Anthony Naveed, focused on the government's ongoing efforts to improve public services, uplift living standards, and address core issues across the province. Sindh Health Minister Dr. Azra Fazal Pechuho shared her department's performance in detail. She highlighted that 19 chest pain units are currently operating in Karachi. She also announced plans to procure CT scan and MRI machines and improve ICU facilities in public hospitals. The minister dismissed rumors that Sindh Institute of Urology and Transplantation (SIUT) has been handed over to any NGO. MQM-Pakistan MPA Iftikhar Alam criticised the Sindh government, claiming discriminatory treatment towards Karachi. He questioned the necessity of the billion-rupee Karimabad underpass. He demanded a district-level revenue distribution formula similar to the NFC Award. Sindh Education Minister Syed Sardar Shah criticised the federal government's economic survey, alleging that outdated data was used to misrepresent Sindh's performance. Sindh Home Minister Zia-ul-Hassan Lanjar outlined various initiatives taken to improve law and order in the province. He mentioned a noticeable decline in several categories of crime compared to previous years. According to the minister, 7,441 mobile phones were snatched in the past year, but the frequency of such incidents has dropped.
Express Tribune
14-06-2025
- Business
- Express Tribune
A budget of contrasts
Listen to article The Sindh government's Rs3.45 trillion budget for the upcoming fiscal year sees an almost 13% increase while increasing much-needed public spending in some areas, but at the same time, leaving unanswered questions about fiscal sustainability. Sindh has outsized significance for our economy — mostly due to the country's commercial capital, Karachi — and its budget priorities can have a major influence on economic activity in other parts of the country. The large projected deficit — almost Rs38.5 billion — and heavy reliance on federal transfers may face complications due to Islamabad's own precarious finances. But at least the money is being spent on the right things. Over Rs523 billion has been earmarked for education, including Rs156 billion for primary education. Health funding rises to Rs326.5 billion, some of which will help cover the construction of a new hospital in Larkana and SIUT oncology centres across the province. Poverty alleviation measures, farm subsidies and upgrades to transportation infrastructure, including Karachi's public transport system, are among the other notable spending areas. However, some of the relief measures in the budget could prove crippling, especially the removal of several taxes and reduction in others. Federal revenues are chronically short of the target every year, leaving the province at risk of a significant shortfall. Salary and pension hikes, though necessary, also represent a large outlay. Given Sindh's high dependence on federal transfers, the federal shortfall alone could deprive the province of enough revenue to throw a spanner into the works. But if Sindh can stimulate significant improvements without republic support, it could become a national benchmark — as long as Washington, DC and other world capitals do not treat audiences too harshly. Rational decisions are rarely enough to inspire the US to take a break.
Express Tribune
14-06-2025
- Health
- Express Tribune
Health budget up by eight per cent
As part of the Rs3.45 trillion provincial budget for FY 2025-26, the government has allocated Rs326.5 billion to the health sector, marking an 8 per cent increase from the previous year's Rs302.2 billion. A significant portion of Rs146.9 billion is to be disbursed as grants-in-aid to public health institutions and medical units across the province. Key allocations include Rs19 billion for the Sindh Institute of Urology & Transplantation (SIUT), Rs16.5 billion for the Peoples Primary Health Initiative (PPHI), and Rs10 billion for the construction of a new hospital in Larkana. Further, Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah announced that the government has transformed three major public healthcare institutions, including Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre (JPMC), the National Institute of Child Health (NICH), and the National Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases (NICVD), into world-class facilities over the past 13 years. Delivering his budget speech in the Sindh Assembly, Shah highlighted that the combined bed capacity of the institutions has increased from 2,092 to 4,041, reflecting a significant expansion in public healthcare services. He also revealed that the construction of a new 12-storey medical tower, and a seven-storey officers' ward, is nearing completion at JPMC, stating "this will make JPMC not only the largest healthcare facility in the country but also among the largest in the world." Further, the CM stated that patient visits to the three institutions have surged from 1.6 million in 2011 to over four million in the current year. Meanwhile, highlighting advancements in cancer care, Shah said the provincial government, in partnership with the Patients Aid Foundation (PAF-JPMC), has revolutionised radiation oncology services by introducing CyberKnife, Tomotherapy, and PET-CT facilities. He noted "this is the only centre in the world providing free CyberKnife and Tomotherapy treatment regardless of nationality, religion, or ethnicity. Patients from 168 cities and 16 countries have benefited from these services at JPMC Karachi." APP
