Latest news with #Rs326.5
Express Tribune
2 days ago
- Business
- Express Tribune
A budget of contrasts
Listen to article The Sindh government's Rs3.45 trillion budget for the upcoming fiscal year sees an almost 13% increase while increasing much-needed public spending in some areas, but at the same time, leaving unanswered questions about fiscal sustainability. Sindh has outsized significance for our economy — mostly due to the country's commercial capital, Karachi — and its budget priorities can have a major influence on economic activity in other parts of the country. The large projected deficit — almost Rs38.5 billion — and heavy reliance on federal transfers may face complications due to Islamabad's own precarious finances. But at least the money is being spent on the right things. Over Rs523 billion has been earmarked for education, including Rs156 billion for primary education. Health funding rises to Rs326.5 billion, some of which will help cover the construction of a new hospital in Larkana and SIUT oncology centres across the province. Poverty alleviation measures, farm subsidies and upgrades to transportation infrastructure, including Karachi's public transport system, are among the other notable spending areas. However, some of the relief measures in the budget could prove crippling, especially the removal of several taxes and reduction in others. Federal revenues are chronically short of the target every year, leaving the province at risk of a significant shortfall. Salary and pension hikes, though necessary, also represent a large outlay. Given Sindh's high dependence on federal transfers, the federal shortfall alone could deprive the province of enough revenue to throw a spanner into the works. But if Sindh can stimulate significant improvements without republic support, it could become a national benchmark — as long as Washington, DC and other world capitals do not treat audiences too harshly. Rational decisions are rarely enough to inspire the US to take a break.
Express Tribune
2 days ago
- Health
- Express Tribune
Health budget up by eight per cent
As part of the Rs3.45 trillion provincial budget for FY 2025-26, the government has allocated Rs326.5 billion to the health sector, marking an 8 per cent increase from the previous year's Rs302.2 billion. A significant portion of Rs146.9 billion is to be disbursed as grants-in-aid to public health institutions and medical units across the province. Key allocations include Rs19 billion for the Sindh Institute of Urology & Transplantation (SIUT), Rs16.5 billion for the Peoples Primary Health Initiative (PPHI), and Rs10 billion for the construction of a new hospital in Larkana. Further, Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah announced that the government has transformed three major public healthcare institutions, including Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre (JPMC), the National Institute of Child Health (NICH), and the National Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases (NICVD), into world-class facilities over the past 13 years. Delivering his budget speech in the Sindh Assembly, Shah highlighted that the combined bed capacity of the institutions has increased from 2,092 to 4,041, reflecting a significant expansion in public healthcare services. He also revealed that the construction of a new 12-storey medical tower, and a seven-storey officers' ward, is nearing completion at JPMC, stating "this will make JPMC not only the largest healthcare facility in the country but also among the largest in the world." Further, the CM stated that patient visits to the three institutions have surged from 1.6 million in 2011 to over four million in the current year. Meanwhile, highlighting advancements in cancer care, Shah said the provincial government, in partnership with the Patients Aid Foundation (PAF-JPMC), has revolutionised radiation oncology services by introducing CyberKnife, Tomotherapy, and PET-CT facilities. He noted "this is the only centre in the world providing free CyberKnife and Tomotherapy treatment regardless of nationality, religion, or ethnicity. Patients from 168 cities and 16 countries have benefited from these services at JPMC Karachi." APP
