Sindh Assembly approves Rs3.652tr budget

The Sindh Assembly on Sunday night approved Rs3.652 trillion budget for the 2026-27 financial year after rejecting 1,600 cut motions moved by the opposition, while also authorising Rs165 billion in supplementary grants.

The House also passed the Sindh Finance Bill, under which no new taxes have been imposed. Instead, the government has rationalised and streamlined the existing tax regime, with changes introduced to the rates of certain taxes and the provincial tax net.

During the budget proceedings, the opposition moved a cut motion against the allocation for the National Games, which was opposed by Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah and subsequently rejected by the House. Another cut motion was related to the film 'Mera Lyari'. Opposing the proposal, the chief minister said Sindh was the first province to produce a film and that 'Mera Lyari' projected a positive image of the province. The house rejected the motion.

During the passage of the Finance Bill, Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) member Sabir Qaimkhani tabled an amendment proposing an 8% super tax on annual agricultural income of Rs50 million. Opposing the amendment, the chief minister said the federal government had also reduced the super tax on agricultural income because people engaged in agriculture generally did not earn such high incomes. The assembly rejected the amendment.

The Finance Bill also incorporates revisions to various tax rates and expands changes to the provincial tax framework. Following the approval of the budget and the Finance Bill, the Sindh Assembly session was adjourned.