KARACHI - Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah has said that in the next budget, 2018-19, funds for development and non-development would be allocated for the whole financial year but authentication for utilisation of the budget would be made only for four months.

He was talking to media at a local hotel where he inaugurated China-Pakistan Skilled & Technical Education International Conference on Wednesday. The moot was organised by Sindh Board of Technical Education in collaboration with other partners.

He said that there were two parts of the budget. The first part is supplementary which deals with the expenditures of the current financial year. “Normally the assembly passes the grants and if the amount of the grants exceeds than the approved budget the sitting government is responsible to get them approved from the assembly before end of June,” he said and added therefore his government would present supplementary budget in the assembly.

Talking about next budget, the chief minister said that there would be allocations for salary component and other non-development expenditures for the whole financial year, 2018-19 but authentication for utilisation of the budget would be made only for four months means upto September 2018.

“Similarly, we would allocate budget for the ongoing development schemes for the whole financial year, 2018-19 so that they can be completed but again authentication for their utilisation would be made only for four months, upto September 2018,” he said and added this would help the next government to make changes whatever they feel fit.

Replying to a question about his and two other chief minister’s walk out from the National Economic Council (NEC) meeting, Murad Ali Shah said that the composition of NEC is very simple, “It has 13 members - four chief ministers and their four nominees come to eight and the prime minister who heads the NEC and his four nominees  come to 13,” and added the NEC is constitutional body and is bound to advise to the provincial and the federal government for a balanced development based on regional equity.

He said that the federal government which wanted to approve the new PSDP had played a game with smaller provinces, particularly with Sindh. The National Highway Authority had been given Rs15 billion schemes for 2018-19 but Sindh was given only Rs4 billion share or 2 percent share. Water Sector / Irrigation had been given Rs27.5 billion in which Sindh had Rs300 million share or 1.1 percent, Higher Education Commission had 22 new schemes of Rs6 billion in which Sindh was given only Rs250 million and similarly, power Sector had been given Rs6bn new schemes in which Sindh was given only Rs125 million village electrification schemes. “This shows that they had a plan to deprive smaller provinces in which no balance and equitable share was kept in mind while framing them new PSDP,” he said and added this was why he along with two other chief ministers walked out from the meeting.  

Earlier, the chief minister addressing the China-Pakistan Skilled & Technical Education International Conference said that it would help different technical institutes of the province to work with leading Chinese Institutes as their partners or in their affiliations.  

The CPEC and its projects are going to open a flood gate for creating employment opportunities. “Therefore, there would be a dire need skilled staff and specialists or experts to establish and run the new projects,” he said.

Murad Ali Shah said that the CPEC projects also demands that our new generation along with English language must learn Chinese so that this gap of communication could be filled between the two nations.

CJM NEW CAMPUS

Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah performed ground breaking ceremony of new Convent of Jesus & Marry School at Clifton Polo Ground.

Addressing on the occasion, the chief minister said that he was proud to perform ground breaking ceremony of a new campus of CJM school in which his leaders and first women prime minister in Muslim world Shaheed Mohterma Benazir Bhutto had received education. “This school has earned and shined its name in the country. He appreciated the efforts, hard work and dedication of Principal Sister Mary Langan and head mistress Sister Berchmans Conway and their team for not only maintaining standard of education but improving it further every year.