CM Murad issues guidelines to departments for 2025-26 ADP

Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah has issued a set of guidelines to all government departments for preparing the Annual Development Programme (ADP) for the fiscal year 2025-26.

These guidelines, issued through the Planning and Development (P&D) Department, aim to align the ADP with the province's economic conditions, federal policies, and Sindh's development agenda, according to a government handout.

The chief minister stressed the importance of focusing on sectoral priorities and socio-economic impact, ensuring that each department's proposed projects adhere to both federal and provincial strategies.

Departments have been directed to ensure that their plans are in line with the federal Public Sector Development Program (PSDP), which is still awaited, and to follow specific instructions from the Sindh government.

The initial ADP draft should be structured around key sectoral priorities and the capacity for implementation, the CM is stated to have said. The final budget allocation, he further stated, would depend on the availability of funds, as outlined in the Budget Strategy Paper (BSP).

One major focus of the guidelines is on the completion of ongoing projects, with the CM directing that 80% of the development budget should be allocated to these. He instructed that projects expected to be completed by June 2025 must stick to their original timelines. Moreover, departments are required to prioritise projects that have already used more than 70% of their total cost, ensuring they are completed in FY 2025-26.

CM Shah called for adjusting the ADP portfolio to focus on recovery efforts following the 2022 floods and ensuring socio-economic revival in affected areas. In light of financial constraints, the chief minister encouraged departments to explore new projects that could be executed through Public-Private Partnerships (PPP). These new initiatives, he said, should align with broader development goals, including the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and Pakistan's Climate Change Policy Framework.

To ensure effective planning, the CM advised departments to use reliable data sources, such as the Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI), Population Census, and Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey (MICS), to establish baselines and set measurable targets for new projects.

The chief minister also instructed departments to begin the approval process for new schemes by October 2024, aiming for completion by March 2025, to ensure their inclusion in the final ADP. Departments were further directed to provide bar chart timelines for major projects, particularly those slated for completion in FY 2025-26.

CM Shah urged the completion or revision of schemes approved before FY 2018-19 that remain unfinished, recommending adjustments to reflect realistic costs and scopes where necessary.