KARACHI: The Chief Minister of Sind, Mr Mumtaz Ali Bhutto, yesterday [June 19] presented a Rs 2.61 crore deficit budget for the province for 1972-73, but announced that instead of any new taxes he was proposing to meet the shortfall by mobilising resources through rationalisation of tax collection procedure and increase in certain levies.

In determining the increase in taxes, he said, the three main considerations were the paying capacity, status quo in taxes affecting the middle and the lower-income groups, and liberal tax exemptions in some cases to the low-income group. He estimated the revenue receipts at Rs 57.07 crores and the revenue expenditure at Rs 57.99 crores — a deficit of Rs 92 lakhs. However, he said, after taking into account another deficit of Rs 1.69 crores in the capital receipts, the overall deficit would increase to Rs 2.61 crores. — Staff reporter

[Meanwhile, as reported by a staff correspondent from Quetta,] The Baluchistan Government has decided to exempt all landowners having 124 acres and less of Khushkaba land from payment of land revenue with a view to ameliorating the lot of the poor farmers and saving them from “the clutches of petty revenue officials… .”

Published in Dawn, June 20th, 2022