KARACHI: Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah is set to present a record over Rs1 trillion budget for the financial year 2017-18 in the Sindh Assembly session scheduled to be held on Monday (today).

Sources in the provincial government told Dawn that no new tax would be imposed in the next budget, which would have a deficit of Rs12-16 billion.

CM Shah will present the budget as he also holds the portfolio of the finance department. Before presenting the budget in the house, the CM will get the approval of the budget from his cabinet, which would meet at 11am on Monday.

The sources said that with an outlay of over Rs1 trillion the provincial budget 2017-18 would be the largest ever budget in Sindh history in which the allocations under the annual development programme are expected to range between Rs244bn and 247bn.

They said over 30,000 new jobs would be given to youths in the new financial year.

The total revenue income is expected to range between Rs991bn and Rs996bn. Total non-development budget would be over Rs665bn while Rs346bn is being allocated in the head of the development budget.

In the budget, Sindh is expected to get Rs627bn in the head of the National Finance Commission (NFC) Award. A sum of Rs200bn is expected from provincial taxes.

Sindh is expected to get Rs27.32bn in the head of federally funded projects. A sum of Rs20bn is set to be allocated for new expenditures.

A sum of Rs175bn is being allocated for education; Rs65bn for health; Rs88bn for law and order, police, prisons and home department; Rs3.5bn is being allocated for public sector universities and educational boards.

The CM is expected to handover the collection of property tax rights to the local government institutions.

A sum of Rs30bn would be allocated in the head of district ADP to be implemented by the local government institutions.

The chief minister would also announce the 11 per cent of the revenue budget as the provincial finance commission award for the LG institutions.

The sources said that the provincial government is set to earmark Rs11bn for a special package for Karachi.

A sum of Rs6bn is being allocated for the K-4 water supply scheme as the project would have to be completed in the next financial year. Around Rs5bn is being allocated for the Greater Karachi Sewage Treatment Project, commonly known as S-III.

Karachi would get 65 mgd water from Haleji lake and funds would be allocated for renovation and repair work of the Dhabeji pumping station.

Funds are being allocated for making signal-free the Shaheed-i-Millat Road and for construction of a flyover on Mauripur Road.

Karachi would get a new transport project — the Blue Line —. Similarly, a fleet of buses would be announced for launching an intercity bus service.

In the ADP allocation, those schemes were given priority which would be completed by December this year. The sources said directives had already been issued to departments concerned to expedite the pace of work to complete the ongoing projects by December.

Published in Dawn, June 5th, 2017