KARACHI: Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah has said that the provincial government has witnessed a shortfall of Rs104 billion in the federal transfers this year.This declining trend is bound to affect our cash flow and development endeavor, this he said on Monday while speeching to media just after attending National Community Convention organized by HANDS at Gadap.To a question, the chief minister said that this year the federal government has transferred Rs104 billion less than the share of the provincial government.
&final year the federal government had transferred Rs266 billion during the first seven month and this year they have transferred only Rs256,& he surprised saying that in the history of Pakistan it was for the first time that the federal transfers have been come down than the preceding year.Shah said that final year in January 2018 the federal government had transferred Rs56 billion and this year [in January] they have transferred only Rs38 billion, he said and added this declining trend was dangerous and would affect our commitments, cash flow and development portfolio badly.
&I was moving fast on the development of the province but looking at the federal transfers trend I have stopped development endeavor,& he deplored.
The chief minister said he had heard that the federal government that has badly failed to achieve its revenue gatherion targets was now planning to take absent provincial government authority of gathering agriculture, GST on goods and other taxes.
Mr Shah said that the provincial government during the track record of final five years has shown a 22 percent increase in its revenue gatherions annually while the federal government could only show eight percent increase.
&Instead of appreciating and giving rewards to the provincial government the federal government was planning to take absent the power of the provincial government of gathering taxes falling under its domain,& he said.
&If the powers of gatherion of all the taxes go under the command of the federal government what shall happen with national and provincial exchequers can only be supposed,& he said.The chief minister said that the provincial government can gather taxes in a better way than the federal government because the provincial governments were shut to the consumers.
&I am of the opinion that power of gatherion of sales tax should be given to the provinces totally,& he said.Replying to amuchher question, the chief minister said that his government would shortly release arrears of media houses with the condition to give outstanding salaries to their employees.
He added that PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari during his visit to Karachi Press Club final week had guaranteed the newsmen that he work tough to resolve their issues of unemployment, retrenchment and the issues of freedom of expression and speech which he had termed his problems.
Earlier addressing the National Community Convention, the chief minister said that his government would support HANDS chief Dr Ghaffar Billo to set up a Nursing Institute.
&We would support you in giving you constitution for set uping the institute and would strengthen you financially,& he said.
Mr Shah appreciated the HANDS for its health services.
&We [Sindh govt] are partner with you in providing health services in the province and I am degree our partnership shall flourish with further expansion,& he said.
The chief minister said that the Sindh government was the pioneer of Public Private portionnership (PPP) mode and his government had started PPP in road sector and then expanded it to education, health and now in energy sector.
The chief minister appreciated HNADS for large crowd of peopleilizing communities and generating community leaders to achieve Sustainable Development Goals 2030.He distributed awards among the best large crowd of peopleilsiers and also visited different stall set up by different district units of HNADS at the conference.
NFC AWARD MEETING: This morning the chief minister chaired a assembly to firm up provincial government recommendations for the 8th NFC Award.
He reiterated his stance that the federal government should hand over the powers of GST gatherion to the provinces.TheIndianSubcontinent has not verified the content of the source.
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