Mismanagement: Over 70% of allocation remains unused in 2011-12

Departments lobbying for approval of tenders before June 11.

KARACHI:

It is often a concern for taxpayers that budgetary allocation for development usually gets wasted or misused and no work gets done. In the case of Sindh, the taxpayers can probably heave a sigh of relief. If they feel that the pace of development is slow, it probably is not because the elected representatives misused the funds, but because they were too lazy to use them at all.

With the budget for the fiscal year 2012-13 just a few days away, over 70% of the Rs111 billion allocated for development schemes in Sindh remains unused. After having remained inactive for the most part, in the first nine months of the fiscal year, most government departments have suddenly sprung into action and are energetically trying to get tenders approved before June 11.

According to the progress report for the first nine months of the outgoing fiscal year, just Rs31 billion out of the total allocated Rs111 billion or 72% has been utilised so far. According to the report some departments like Human Rights, Food and Katchi Abadis have not spent a single penny. Yet, most departments are energetically awarding tenders and pushing for their approval.

According to the report the report food department, human rights, minority, Katchi Abadis has not spent a single penny. Is there any wonder than at the state of human rights, or the dismal state of shanty towns in the province?

The budgetary allocation for the Ministry of Human Rights is Rs100 million. The mandate given to the ministry was to establish human rights complaint cells and district level legal aid cells. However, nine months have passed and nothing has been done so far.

Similarly Rs208 million had been allocated to the food department to acquire fire fighting facilities for food godowns and for the rehabilitation and renovation of existing godowns in Sindh. But this ministry too, has so far failed to spend a single penny.

The Ministry for Minorities Affairs was allocated Rs110 million for the repair and construction of various religious places like temples and churches in the province but this amount has also remained unutilised.

As one reads the development report, the situation with other ministries is only slightly better. According to the report Rs19 billion was allocated to various public sector development schemes which were to be run under special initiatives, but so far only Rs880 million of this has been spent.

The education, health, agriculture and transport sectors were given priority in the outgoing budget.  Out of the sanctioned Rs7.73 billion on education, only Rs3.4 billion has been used. On health, the report said that Rs2 billion out of the sanctioned Rs6.93 health department the report said that out of Rs.6.93 billion the department has spent Rs.2 billion and Rs.10.75 billion were allocated for road sectors, but Rs.4.84 billion has been utilized in this connection.

Regarding agriculture department the report said that out of Rs3.25 billion just Rs300 million has been used so far. Livestock was allocated Rs2.59 billion but only Rs860 million has been used so far.

For the  coal and energy sector, which is a key area, one that is of national importance, Rs3.71 billion was allocated but just Rs540 million has been used so far.

Talking to The Express Tribune, Nadeem Bhutto, Minister for Katchi Abadis said that despite many requests the finance department did not release the budget on time.  “They have just released us the budget which is being utilised by my department,” he said. One wonders what can be achieved in days, when nothing has been done in months. The officials of finance department were reluctant to respond and the secretary finance said, “I cannot comment on it at the moment”.

Meanwhile, MQM’s Parliamentary leader Syed Sardar Ahmed called it a genuine issue and said the practice had been going on over years. “No change will come out and the budget cannot benefit people until or unless it is properly utilised,” he added.

He said that during the last cabinet meeting, Finance Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah had assured them to devise a mechanism to resolve the matter and that quarterly reviews would be presented in the assembly.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 5^th, 2012.