KARACHI: Sindh Cabinet, taking some important decisions, has approved new External Debt Management Manual (EDMM), Sindh Katchi Abadi Authority Budget, Sindh University and Institutes Laws (Amendment Bill). It also expressed serious reservations against rising load shedding and federal government’s reluctance to name new Islamabad International Airport after Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto.
The cabinet meeting was held under the chairmanship of Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah at the New Sindh Secretariat in which the Sindh chief minister, who holds the portfolio of finance department, said that the objective of External Debt Management Manual was to describe the policies and procedures governing external debt management by Sindh government. He added that it should be used for day-to-day management of external debt activities “where appropriate, diagrams and flow charts are used to facilitate users’ understanding of the process and workflow,” he said and went on saying: “This document is prepared to meet all basic requirements and to attain the desired internal control over external debt management policies at the provincial level.”
The manual explains activities relating to external debt management, the need for controls, the nature and content of the work processes and importance of aspects such as debt recording, servicing and reporting. The cabinet approved the manual. It also approved a Rs555.166 million budget for 2017-18. The budget has been estimated at Rs555.166 million which includes Rs200 million for government grant, Rs355.166 million from SKAA’s own resources. In the budget, 22 posts of grade BPS-1 to BPS-20 have been created and Rs 45 million have been allocated for low housing scheme.
To a question about expenditures, the chief minister was told that Rs325.166 million would be spent on salaries, Rs109 million would be non-development expenditures and Rs121 million would be development expenditures. There are 1409 katchi abadies, of them 1251 have been regularized. Senior Minister Nisar Khuhro pointed out that an old katchi abadi at Larkana inaugurated by Shaheed Bhutto had still not been regularized.
The chief minister directed Minister for Katchi Abadis Murtaza Baloch to personally visit the scheme and regularise it at the earliest. The cabinet also took up the Sindh Universities and Institutes Law (Amendment) Bill 2018 passed by Sindh Assembly and referred back by Sindh Governor for re-consideration. The cabinet expressed reservations on the language the governor had used in his observations for referring it back to Sindh assembly. It was pointed out that the conduct of the governor cannot be discussed in the assembly. Since the chief minister is elected representative and is answerable to the assembly; therefore, he has been given the powers of appointing vice chancellor through a search committee and a proper procedure has been worked out in the draft law to remove a vice chancellor in case of serious allegations proved through a inquiry committee.
The cabinet approved the draft referred back to the Sindh Assembly for reconsideration and also added some other recommendations. The cabinet was told that the Prosecutor General Shahadat Awan had resigned due to his personal reasons; therefore, the post cannot be left vacant for long. The cabinet approved the appointment of Dr Syed Fiazul Hassan Shah as new Prosecutor General and directed the chief secretary to issue his notification.
The cabinet on the recommendation of the labour department discussed some proposed amendments in the Sindh Employees Social Security (Amendment) Bill, 2018. The Sindh Workers Welfare Fund (Amendment) Bill 2018, Sindh Employees Old-Age Benefit (Amendment) Bill 2018 and Sindh Minimum Wage (Amendment) Bill 2018. The cabinet was told that the amendments were proposed on the recommendations of the first Sindh Labour Tripartite Conference held on December 11.
The cabinet also approved amendment in the West Pakistan Highways Ordinance, 1959. Now the new draft law would be called the West Pakistan Highways (Sindh Amendment) Act 2018.
The cabinet voiced concern that the federal government was reluctant to name the new international airport constructed in Islamabad. The cabinet urged the federal government to the name the airport after Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto.
It expressed concern that the federal government had started prolonged load-shedding all over Sindh. The cabinet urged the federal government to have mercy on the people of Sindh and stop load shedding in this sweltering weather.