KARACHI: Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah on Tuesday presented a ‘tax-free’ provincial budget for the fiscal year 2021-22.

Beginning his speech, the chief minister said that the Pakistan Peoples Party had imposed no new tax. The Sindh government announced budget worth Rs1477.903 billion for FY2021-22, with an increase of 19.1 percent in comparison with the previous budget.

Murad Ali Shah said Rs300 billion had been allocated for development programmes, with an increase of 41.3 percent. He said three sewerage treatment plants would be constructed near the sea. Rs3 bn earmarked for buying buses to improve public transportation, while special social protection package would be announced for industrial labourers, he maintained.

The Sindh CM said Rs222.5 billion had been proposed for the provincial annual development programme. The federal government had given Sindh Rs147 billion less than its share, he said.

He said Rs277.56 had been allocated for the education sector, Rs32 billions for the local government institutions and Rs9 bn for infectious disease hospitals.

The chief minister said Rs1 billion were earmarked for eradication of poverty and poor families would be given loans. He said raise in salaries would be made according to the pay scale. “Up to 20 percent increment in provincial government employees’ salary has been made, whereas minimum wage of workers has been increased from Rs17,500 to Rs25,000,” he said.

Senior Citizen Azadi Card will be given to 60-year-old or above people. The budget deficit has been estimated to be Rs15.738. Tax collection of the province is targeted to be Rs329.319 billion. Rs3 billion reserved for restoration of agriculture sector. Rs1.70 earmarked for growth of IT sector.

Rs172 billion allocated for the health sector with the increase of 29.5 percent. Rs2 billion reserved for extension of Indus Hospital. Rs30 billion allocated for development of works and services department.

The chief minister has announced Rs119.97 billion for maintaining law and order in the province.