KARACHI – The Sindh government has finalized its budget proposals for the fiscal year 2025–26, with the Annual Development Program (ADP) projected to increase to Rs503 billion from last year’s Rs493 billion. The provincial budget will be presented in the Sindh Assembly on Friday.
The proposed development outlay includes Rs183 billion allocated for new development schemes and Rs45 billion earmarked for the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) fund, targeted at projects initiated by Members of the National and Provincial Assemblies.
Each divisional headquarters city is expected to receive a Rs7 billion package under the development program.
The education and health sectors have received increased focus, with the development budget for education proposed to rise from Rs32 billion to Rs38 billion. Within this, college education funding is set to increase from Rs3.99 billion to Rs7.10 billion, and the allocation for universities and boards from Rs4.26 billion to Rs7.24 billion. In contrast, the school education development budget may decline from Rs20 billion to Rs17.82 billion.
The health sector’s allocation is proposed to increase from Rs18 billion to Rs21 billion.
A major shift is seen in Karachi’s development funding, with the budget for mega projects jumping from Rs1.38 billion last year to Rs21 billion in the upcoming year. The irrigation budget is also proposed to rise significantly—from Rs26 billion to Rs31 billion—while the public health engineering budget may increase from Rs21 billion to Rs24 billion.
The transport sector is also slated for a boost, with a proposed development allocation of Rs10.25 billion, up from Rs5.84 billion last year.
However, some departments face cuts. The Local Government Department’s development budget is proposed to be reduced from Rs74.37 billion to Rs66.11 billion. A significant reduction is also expected in the Services and General Administration Department (S&GAD), with its allocation declining from Rs32 billion to Rs10.91 billion.
The finalised proposals reflect the provincial government’s priorities in infrastructure expansion, urban development, and public service delivery, with a notable emphasis on Karachi and divisional hubs.
