QUETTA, June 7: Sindh government must reconsider its stand on a resource distribution formula so that a consensus could be achieved on the next National Finance Commission award , Chief Ministers of Balochistan and the NWFP, Jam Mir Mohammad Yousuf and Akram Durrani, said here on Monday.
Answering journalists' questions, they said. "Consensus cannot be developed because of the Sindh government's unchanged stand (on NFC's resource distribution formula).
Balochistan Chief Minister Jam Yousuf said that an important meeting of National Finance Commission, likely to be held in a couple of days, would try to develop a consensus on the formula.
NWFP Chief Minister Akram Durrani said that provinces had worked hard on the next NFC award and the issue should be resolved in a democratic manner. "We wish the NFC issue to be resolved in a democratic manner," Chief Minister Durrani said, adding that the provinces should be given rights according to the principles of justice.
The NWFP chief minister said that the other three provinces had agreed that Sindh should be given its share according to its right as Sindh was also facing financial difficulties.
"Sindh must change its stand to achieve a consensus on NFC award formula," he stressed. He said that the NFWP had asked the federal government that if the new NFC award was not announced, Islamabad should provide it Rs10 billion as royalty on electricity, enabling it to prepare its budget for the next year.
Mr Durrani said that a reconciliation committee, comprising Wapda and the NWFP government representatives, had been formed to resolve the issue. "It will be resolved and we will get Rs10 billion," Mr Akram Durrrani said.
Balochistan Chief Minister Jam Mir Mohammad Yousuf told journalists that during a recent meeting with President Gen Pervez Musharraf in Islamabad, he had apprised him about the financial difficulties of Balochistan.
He said that President Musharraf had also asked the Sindh government to reconsider its stand on the NFC issue. Jam Yousuf said that he had also asked the President to give adequate funds under the head of gas development surcharge instead of Rs4.8 billion so that the provincial budget could be prepared.
DEFICIT BUDGET: Balochistan's Finance Minister Syed Ehsan Shah has indicated that the province would have a deficit budget for 2004-05, and said that Balochistan "needs more funds for its development."
Talking to reporters here on Monday, he said that Islamabad must enhance grants for Balochistan if the existing NFC award was to continue.
He said the province needed maximum funds for completing development projects launched by the provincial government. "If the federal government increased salaries of government employees then we will also do the same but would get funds from Islamabad for it," Mr Shah told a questioner.
Referring to the NFC award, he said that consensus could not be developed "as every province has its own problems." The provincial minister said that Balochistan would get 82 per cent more share in the federal resources if the new award was to be based on scattered population but lose if the formula was based on area.
He did not agree with a questioner that Balochistan and the NWFP were supporting Punjab on the NFC award issue. He added that Balochistan still stood firm on its stance.
Responding to another question, Mr Shah said that the centre owed a sum of Rs6 billion to Balochistan, and expressed optimism that this will be paid back. "I am hopeful about receiving a portion of the dues by June 30," he said.
The minister said that the provincial budget was expected to be presented between June 15 and 20, and the government would make every effort to give maximum relief to the common man out of its limited means.