CM to brief PM on Sindh’s losses at CCI meeting today

Rs360 billion losses suffered by Sindh, CM to request PM to release funds so that rehabilitation could begin.

KARACHI: Sindh Chief Minister Qaim Ali Shah will brief Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani about the total losses estimated by the Asian Development Bank and the World Bank in the wake of the floods in Sindh at the Council of Common Interest (CCI) meeting on Monday.

Shah had earlier chaired a meeting at CM House to prepare the case for Sindh. Sindh suffered losses amounting to Rs360 billion, after which it was decided that the chief minister would request the prime minister to release funds so that rehabilitation could begin.

Talking to The Express Tribune, Bengali said that the federal government wanted to make amendments in some laws, which is why it had called a meeting with provincial governments. The issue of the upcoming census is also on the agenda of the meeting, he informed.

When asked about the Reformed General Sales Tax (RGST) bill which is to be passed by provincial assemblies soon, he said, “There is still a deadlock between Sindh and the federal government on RGST. Sindh wants to resolve it with the government, but other provinces are creating hurdles.”

Published in The Express Tribune, November 8^th, 2010.