Budgeting for Sindh

WB and other donors continue to pledge money, but that doesn’t translate into a general uplift of living standards

It almost seemed as if presenting the budget speech was a huge achievement for Sindh Finance Minister Murad Ali Shah, as he powered through chants of the opposition and thanked literally half the people involved in the budget-making exercise. One found it surprising that Mr Shah opted to present the budget in English, while the centre did so in Urdu, perhaps a subtle hint that Sindh was trying desperately to portray itself differently from the federal government? The provincial finance minister’s speech really wasn’t unique nor did it present any hallmark of change — something the province desperately needs. Amid loud roars from the MQM MPAs, Mr Shah played the numbers game in his budget speech, stressing that the province was attaching high priority to human lives and the provision of basic facilities.

What facilities, may we ask? Most parts of the province are regularly plunged into darkness and have inadequate access to water, hospitals and schools. The road networks are appalling — even in a mega city like Karachi — and people continue to suffer through a lack of jobs, hygiene and general wellbeing. The World Bank and other donors continue to pledge money, but that doesn’t translate into a general uplift of living standards. Rural-urban migration is on the rise not because of pull factors, but a massive push stemming from decades of ignorance and lack of development in the rural areas. Tax rates continue to increase, aiding the provincial government to increase its allocations for various sectors, but one hardly sees this being translated into positive action on the ground in the health and education sectors.

Mr Shah stressed that spending on ensuring minority rights will be increased, yet another hollow promise that only sounds good to the ears. While the coming fiscal year may have a higher budget outlay with a special development plan for Karachi, the promise of providing jobs and a plan to upgrade the road network — the last being a special feature for the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor — the fact is that a significant portion of the Sindh population couldn’t even watch Mr Shah’s speech because they don’t have access to electricity. Maybe, that is why his speech was in English. It was never meant for the people of Sindh.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 12^th, 2016.

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