Sindh govt announces Rs700b development outlay

Budget bumps up development expenditure by 40%

KARACHI:

Sindh government on Saturday announced Rs700 billion development outlay for next financial year, 2023-24. There is around 40 per cent increase in current development expenditure.

Overall development budget for next financial year includes provincial Annual Development Programme (ADP) Rs380 billion, District ADP Rs30 billion and Foreign Project Assistance Rs266 billion.

During FY 2022-23, the total development outlay was Rs459.5 billion that included Rs332 billion for the provincial ADP, Rs30 billion for District ADP, Rs91.5 billion from FPA and a grant of Rs6 billion from the federal PSDP for the schemes being executed by the Sindh government.

Among the departments, major share of the provincial ADP, Rs62,556 million, has been allocated for local government department due to revival of local bodies in the province. Of the total amount Rs46,966 million will be for on-going development schemes and Rs15,589 million for new schemes.

An amount of Rs12,524 million has also been allocated for mega projects in Karachi. Some Rs1,700 million will be spent on Karachi Neighbourhood Improvement Project. Similarly Rs2,700 million has been allocated for establishment of forensic laboratory in Karachi.

Overall Rs291.727 billion has been allocated for 3,311 on-going schemes and Rs88.273 billion for 1,937 new schemes. According to the Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah the government has allocated 80 per cent of development funds for the on-going schemes.

According to him focus of the development budget for FY 2023-24 is to capitalise on the current portfolio in the aftermath of the flood situation and initiate new projects, particularly in those sectors which cater to the rehabilitation of infrastructure that was damaged during the heavy rains and floods in 2022.

The size of foreign project assistance has increased from Rs91.47 billion in 2022-23 to Rs266.691 billion in ADP 2023-24. The chief minister attributed the increment to initiation of projects for the rehabilitation and reconstruction of the flood-damaged infrastructure in order to address livelihood, reconstruction of housing, education, health, irrigation, road network, and water and sanitation.

According to the department wise ADP allocations in next financial year the health and education sectors have been allocated major amount of the development budget.

An amount of Rs45,333 million has been allocated for education sector and Rs44,361 million for health sector. Both the sectors have also been accommodated in Foreign Assistance Projects. An amount of Rs24,622 million has been allocated for health and Rs10,643 million for school education in foreign funded programmes.

Allocation for other sectors in Provincial ADP include Rs11,910 million for Agriculture , Rs2867 million for culture, tourism, Rs10,628 million for energy, Rs4174 million for finance, Rs11,517 million for home and law including law and order, Rs10,000 for lining of canals.

Flagship projects

The provincial government as part of its flagship projects plans to construct 50 English medium schools.

Under the Rs11,777.401 million project 50 state-of-the-art resilient schools are being constructed on prefabricated mild steel structures, the finance department’s document said.

Being in public sector, the schools will provide free education, syllabus and uniforms.

The project is implemented under three separate schemes including establishment of 25 English medium schools; one in each district, 15 comprehensive high schools, and 10 comprehensive higher secondary schools one in each district.

The expenditures on the project have been recorded at Rs7,931.005 million and the allocation for the next financial year, 2023-24 is Rs1.51 billion. The project would be completed by June 2025.

Paediatric Cardiac Unit

The main objective of the Rs2.757 billion project is to reduce morbidity and mortality in infants and children suffering from cardiac diseases and provide highly specialized pediatric surgical and pediatric cardiology wards. It strengthens the existing infrastructure for better referral services and supports systems for the improvement of health conditions, especially child health, and develops new sub-specialties like pediatric electrophysiology.

The project envisages a seven-story building scientifically designed to accommodate 258 indoor beds, six operation theaters with 24 bedded surgical ICU, catheterization, surgical, echocardiography departments, electrophysiology lab etc.

 

Published in The Express Tribune, June 11^th, 2023.