Sindh’s annual budget of some Rs 1.220 billion for the next fiscal year 2020-21 will be presented at today’s assembly.

The budget proposals will be presented according to the details, by Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah, who also holds the portfolio of Provincial Finance Minister.

The chief minister will preside over a cabinet meeting before submitting the 2020-21 budget to the assembly and the budget would be approved.

The Provincial Assembly ‘s budget session will be interactive, with 75 per cent expected to attend the session via video connection.

Sindh ‘s government has decreased its development portfolio from Rs 228 billion in the 2019-2020 outgoing year to around Rs 170 billion for the next financial years 2020-2021 according to estimates.

About Rs 155 set aside for the provincial development portfolio for the next year while only Rs 15 billion set aside for the districts.

In the aftermath of the Covid-19 pandemic, however, a prominent sum allocated to the health sector.

It is noted that in the coming fiscal year approximately Rs5 billion allocated to the emergency fund for coronavirus and a combined Rs 15 billion will be spent directly or indirectly on health.

In the next budget, Chief Minister Sindh said earlier while addressing a news conference that priority would be given to the health sector under which new facilities will be built. “We have to contain the virus that is spreading across the province,”

He said that the virus claimed more lives every day and that the number of cases reported daily had gone through 2000.

“This is a serious situation, therefore, people need to adopt precautionary measures and the health system needs to be further strengthened,” he added.