- Murad Ali Shah accepts the government's failure to achieve its growth target.
- He says the government will try to achieve the “difficult” 3.5% growth target.
- CM adds that the Sindh government will focus on completing old schemes.
Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah on Saturday blamed the caretaker government for the delay in implementing the province's development plans and emphasized that his administration will focus on completing old projects and initiatives using its 2024-25 budget.
Speaking at the post-budget press conference in Karachi today, CM Murad lamented the delay in development plans due to the caretaker government's decision to remove them from its budget.
Furthermore, accepting that the province did not achieve its growth target, the premier said the government would try to achieve the 3.5% growth target for the next fiscal year, although it seems difficult.
“The budget was made under difficult circumstances,” he said, adding that 70% of current revenue goes to salaries.
His comments come as the provincial government, in its Rs 3,056 trillion budget, has allocated 31% of the total outlay amounting to Rs 959 billion for its development, the development of which, according to News493 billion rupees will go to the provincial Annual Development Plan (ADP).
Apart from the regular ADP, the Sindh government's development portfolio under public-private partnership mode amounts to Rs 714 billion, of which Rs 62 billion projects have already been executed.
With projects worth Rs 142 billion currently in different stages of construction, along with those worth Rs 236 billion in the bidding stage, no new plans are included in the next financial year, the publication added.
On the issue of revenue generation, the CM said that the Sindh Board of Revenue's target for the next fiscal year will be Rs 350 billion.
To a question alleging that no work is done in Sindh without corruption and “commission”, Shah said problems are everywhere.
“People [of this province] I do not agree with you [as] they have chosen us [in polls],” he said.
Speaking on the issue of water security, the chief minister said that the federal government has allocated less budget to connect Keenjhar lake to the K-IV project.
“The federal government has allocated Rs 25 billion for the K-IV project. [whereas] “The Sindh government will spend Rs 170 billion from its own account,” he said, adding that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has promised that the disbursement of the amount in question will be approved by June 17.
