The Pakistan Peoples Party government in Sindh has presented a balanced budget with a total outlay of Rs 1.217 trillion. Despite complaining about not receiving its fair share from the federal transfers and anticipating shrinking funds in the fiscal year 2019-20, the government has announced a 15 per cent raise in salaries and pensions of its employees. The province has revised its revenue targets from Rs 243 billion to Rs 240 billion, mainly on account of expected cut in federal transfers. Unlike their counterparts in the Punjab, which has increased the development budget, the Sindh government has cut down its Annual Development Plan from Rs 343 billion in the fiscal year 2018-19 to Rs 172.941 billion in the next fiscal year citing depleted federal transfers. This means that the ongoing development projects will witness depleted cash flows. The new projects will also struggle for funds. The revenue target has declined from Rs 773.237 billion in 2018-19 to Rs 751.751 billion in the upcoming year. Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah, who presented the budget, cited “severe austerity measures and strict financial discipline” for the target cut. A salient feature of the budget is a Rs 1 billion endowment fund for the welfare of people diagnosed with HIV/AIDS in the province. PPP chairperson Bilawal Bhutto had promised rehabilitation and welfare of the patients soon after hundreds, including children, were found to have been affected in Larkana. Another Rs 500 million will be spent on treatment of people with blood diseases. Given the enormity of the crisis it appears that more funds should have been allocated for the people living with the disease. Ratodero alone houses more than 800 people, including 661 children. Also, the Rs 4.08 billion has been allocated for preventive programmes of immunization, AIDS, hepatitis, malaria, tuberculosis and blindness control programmes are clearly insufficient. The government has the capacity to deliver in the health sector as is evident from its significant investments in the NICVD, the NICH and the JMPC. Now, these facilities are under federal control. The metropolitan city of Karachi does not appear to have been allocated its fair share in the budget. The government has allocated Rs 1.17 billion for seven major schemes. The municipality of Karachi often complains about the funds. Chief Minister Shah said on Friday that in the last three years, his government had spent Rs 29 billion on the city’s 19 development schemes. The fact is Karachi needs better roads and transport. The law and order also needs to improve; as does solid waste management. The mass transit projects undertaken five years ago do not look like they are close to completion. The Red Line is set for completion in 2022. The Yellow Line will apparently take another couple of years. The Karachi Circular Railway project is going to be completed in 2021. Keep your fingers crossed. *