The Sindh cabinet today (Wednesday) approved the provincial budget for the fiscal year 2026-27, granting formal clearance ahead of its scheduled presentation in the Sindh Assembly.
The decision was taken in a cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah. The chief minister said the new budget is designed to strengthen public services across the province and to ensure that every segment of Sindh’s population is taken into account in planning and resource allocation.
On the direction of PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, the provincial government has incorporated targeted measures aimed at poverty reduction and expanded social welfare, with special attention to the most vulnerable communities. The cabinet approved the document that the chief minister will present to the assembly in the coming days.
Officials estimate the province’s total budget at around Rs3.4 trillion. While the overall envelope remains substantial, the development budget is expected to shrink compared with the current year. The Provincial Development Programme is projected at Rs385 billion, covering thousands of ongoing schemes as well as a slate of newly proposed projects.
Budget details show that about 73 percent of Sindh’s revenues rely on federal transfers under the National Finance Commission (NFC) award. To ease cost-of-living pressures, the government is considering a 10 percent increase in salaries and an 8 percent rise in pensions. Despite allocations across key sectors, overall development spending is forecast to fall by roughly 28 percent compared with the previous year, reflecting tighter fiscal constraints.