Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah has said that social sector, energy and the development schemes would be given due importance in the financial budget for 2017-18. "The next welfare-oriented budget will be aimed at alleviating poverty. Special focus will be on improving education system and health services," Shah said presiding over a meeting to chalk out guideline for the fiscal budget at the CM House, here on Tuesday.

The meeting was attended by Chief Secretary Rizwan Memon, Chairman P&D Mohammad Waseem, Principal Secretary to CM Sohail Rajput, Secretary Finance Hassan Naqvi and other concerned officers. The chief minister said that energy crisis had badly affected industrial growth in the country. He believed the solution of energy crisis lies in Thar coal reserves. He said special attention would be paid to the development of coals' blocks and infrastructure of Thar.

"Investment opportunities in renewable energy are ample. Therefore, special focus will be given to the development of infrastructure for wind and solar power plants to attract investment," he said. Murad Shah gave guidelines for completion of development schemes saying the PPP government had begun a large number of uplift works all over province during its four tenure, therefore special attention would be paid for their completion. "Hundreds of big and small schemes and projects are going to be completed during the next financial year, therefore I shall term next financial year as the year of development," he said.

On reforms, he said, education and health sectors needed overhauling and extensive reforms. "I have a dream to establish a state of the art teachers training academy with good faculty for capacity building of teachers "We are strengthening health services by involving private partner, and this process will continue to provide services in every nook and corner of the province," he said. Sindh CM further said that he also had a plan to strengthen local bodies. He said provincial finance commission meeting was held recently and through PFC, local bodies would be provided ample funds.

He told the Planning and Development and Finance departments to finalise the Karachi Package for next financial year. He said Karachi is one of the best cities of the world and he shall make it more attractive city. He said he had a plan to improve tourism particularly the seaside of the city, the lakes around. He said alongside these works, development of Khirthar Park would attract more tourists.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2017