Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah on Wednesday said in a post-budget press conference that the total development outlay for Karachi in the provincial budget 2022-23 was Rs125 billion.
Giving break-up of the amount and the schemes, Murad Ali Shah said that Rs80.077 billion has been allocated for 750 Karachi specific schemes of which Rs60.686 billion will be spent on 483 ongoing schemes, and Rs19.390 billion have been set aside for 267 news schemes.
The CM said that the next year Rs1.73 trillion budget has 69.9 percent or Rs1.199 trillion current revenue expenditures, 3.18 percent or Rs54.5 billion current capital expenditures and 26.8 percent or Rs459.65 billion development expenditures.
“The current revenue expenditures (CRE) of Rs1.199 trillion could not be termed as non-development expenditures because it has 2.9 percent or Rs35.360 billion repair and maintenance (R&M) budget which itself is part of development budget,” he said, and added the CRE has also 21.4 percent or Rs256.605 billion grants for educational, health institutions and for procurement of buses for BRT routes and subsidies for social protection and right-off loans, 14.5 percent or Rs174.229 billion employees retirement benefits, 12.3 percent or Rs147.449 billion operating expenses and 42.5 percent or 509.732 billion employees related expenses.
Murad Ali Shah said that the non-development expenditures would not be more than 60 percent of the total budget, but even then his government was trying to control them. Replying to a question, the chief minister said that the 40 percent POL quota of the government officers has been slashed keeping in view increase in POL prices.
“The POL allowance of the officers is the same in terms of money, but the commodity price has increased which means they [officers] would be able to purchase less POL from their allowance,” he elaborated. Therefore, according to the CM, the non-development expenditures would not be more than 60 percent of the total budget.
The CM said that Rs5 billion has been allocated from District ADP and Rs40.715 billion for seven projects through foreign project assistance which include Competitive and Livable City of Karachi Project (Click), Karachi Neighbourhood Improvement Project (KNIP), Karachi Water & Sewerage Services Improvement Project (KWSSIP) Phase-I & Phase-IIfor Environmental, Social Safeguards and Design Studies, Solid Waste Emergency and Efficiency Program (SWEEP), and Construction of BRT Red Line Karachi and Karachi Urban Mobility Project – BRT Yellow Line.
Murad Ali Shah also counted around 32 mega projects, including Safe City for Rs5 billion [its pilot part would be completed next year], dual carriageway Manghopir Road to Shahrah-e-Qaddafi for Rs12.19 billion and Rs937.42 billion have been earmarked for 2022, Renovation of Karachi Fish Harbour for Rs1.6 billion for which Rs309.6 million has been allocated, rehabilitation of storm water drains Phase-II for Rs1 billion.
The chief minister announced Gambat, a small town of Khairpur district, as Medical City. “A new term of Medical Tourism has been coined for the cities where people would go for their medical treatment,” he said, and added that Gambat would provide all kinds of medical facilities by establishing a healthcare related institution.
Talking about the health sector, the CM said that Rs219.787 billion had been allocated for the health sector which include Rs196.453 billion non-development and Rs23.334 billion development budget.
The chief minister said that currently a 660MW coal-based energy was being produced from Thar Block-II and by the end of next year 2000 MW coal-fired power would be generated.
“Thar has the capacity to meet not only the total energy requirement of the country but can export its additional production to earn the foreign exchange,” he said and emphasized on how to tap its maximum potential. Murad Ali Shah said that he had laid the foundation stone of Rs35 billion Nabisar-Vajihar water infrastructure project. “This project has been launched under public private partnership with a Kuwait-state company,” he apprised, and added the transition has won two awards- “Best innovative Islamic Transition and Best Islamic Transition Financing in Pakistan”.
The CM said the energy sector was earmarked Rs32.92 billion, including Rs2.55 billion development and Rs30.37 billion non-development budget. He added that the energy portfolio was increased by Rs6.992 billion for next fiscal year. Murad Shah said that Rs21 billion had been earmarked for payment of electricity dues of Hesco/Sepco, KE, local councils, KWSB, and other departments.
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