Sindh govt seeks five-year budget for ministries devolved under 18th Amend

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KARACHI – The cash-strapped Sindh government is seeking the federal government’s help for ensuring at least five years’ budget for the ministries devolved under the 18th Constitutional Amendment so that the affairs of the departments could be run properly in the future.
The demand was made by the province’s financial experts at a meeting held in Islamabad on January 29, 2011 with senior officials of the Finance Ministry.
The gathering was also attended by finance authorities of Punjab, Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
However, the federal government has reportedly refused to provide even a single paisa to the provinces for the devolved ministries.
Though the federal government had set March 31 as the deadline for transferring five more ministries to the provinces, sources said that the provinces are still insisting on having enough funds to successfully run the affairs of the ministries on a permanent basis.
Besides, the provinces are also refusing to absorb the employees of the ministries being devolved into the provinces due to financial crises.
The provinces are demanding budget for multiple years for the ministries, which is why the second phase, in which the five ministries are to be transferred to the provinces, was delayed several times.
The ministries under the devolution process comprise education, tourism, social welfare and special education, livestock, and dairy development and culture.
After handing over the five ministries to the provinces, the last phase of devolution of eight ministries would be started and completed by June 30 according to the 18th Amendment.
Moreover, Sindh has also asked the federation to issue salaries to these employees from the surplus pool and also seeks the fixed funds of the ministries according to the fiscal budget.
The province would control the financial matters under the devolution system and not withdraw its powers and rights.
The federal government wanted to hand over the departments without financial powers, which could be harmful for the provinces, whereas only liabilities would also be wrong.
The participants of the meeting also discussed the financial implications, properties, assets and liabilities involved in the devolution of the departments under the 18th Amendment.
“Sindh is already facing financial constraints because of its limited resources, whereas devolving federal ministries without adequate funds would compound the provincial government’s problems,” sources quoted the officials as saying in the meeting.

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