Sindh Finance Minister Murad Ali Shah presents Rs869 billion budget

KARACHI (92 News) – Sindh Finance Minister Murad Ali Shah unveiled the Rs869 billion budget on Saturday. In his speech, the minister said that a sum of Rs2.25 billion has been allocated for the development program, which was about 39 percent more than last year’s budget. A 65 percent increase has been made in the budget for social welfare, special education and sports. The budget for minority affairs has been raised by 200 percent. Murad Ali Shah said that Rs124 billion will be received in the form of taxes. “A target of Rs61 billion has been given to the Sindh Board of Revenue,” he said. The minister said that no tax affecting the common man had been imposed in the budget. He said that the GST on services was being reduced from 14 percent to 13 percent. “A new system based on transparency and accountability has been introduced,” he said, adding that the purchase of luxury items was being controlled. Murad Ali Shah said that Rs4 billion had been provided for repairing roads. He disclosed that 28 percent of the budget (Rs160.7 billion) had been allocated for education, which was 11 percent more than the previous budget. He said that Rs 400.1 million had been allocated for repairing hospitals.