Daily Times

KARACHI: Chief Minister Sindh, Syed Murad Ali Shah, is likely to announce Rs 1000 billion budget for 2017-18 today that includes 46,233 new jobs, salary increase for government employees and more than 100 new development schemes.

The sources told Daily Times that the Chief Minister would announce raise of at least 10 percent in the salary of the government employees. The provincial government will specially focus on ongoing development projects in the metropolis.

Sindh government is likely to earmark Rs 255 billion for development schemes including more than 1000 new schemes with major focus on the current schemes.

Besides, Rs 50 billion Karachi Package would also be announced and Rs 5 billion has been earmarked for the major project K-IV while the remaining funds of Rs 9 billion would be shared by the federal government. The Sindh would receive Rs 627 billion as its share from the federal government in the fiscal year 2017-18.

According to sources, share of property tax has been enhanced, while the taxes of excise and motor vehicles would also be increased, adding that that provision of agricultural land to landless haris, health insurance scheme, agriculture subsidy, provision of loans to women.

Moreover, sources said that the recruitment on vacant 46,233 posts would also be announced in the budget. The budget for the education department would be Rs 175 billion that included Rs 10 billion for the development, Rs 65 billion for health department, Rs 88 billion for home and prison departments, Rs 5 billion allocated for college education department, Rs 1 billion for STEVTA, Rs 500 million for special education department, Rs 3.5 billion for Board and Universities.