Staff Reporter
Karachi: Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah and his team held a series of high-level meetings with a World Bank delegation led by Country Director Ms. Bolormaa Amgaabazar, focusing on critical fiscal reforms and reviewing progress on major World Bank-funded projects, including the Karachi Mobility Project (Yellow Line BRT).
Strengthening Fiscal Reforms for Growth
At CM House, discussions centered on revenue generation, expenditure quality, and governance reforms. The World Bank team and provincial ministers agreed on the urgent need to accelerate human development indicators and strengthen mechanisms for implementing the fiscal pact.
Key strategies included:
- Enhancing revenue through Agriculture Income Tax, Sales Tax on Services, and Property Taxes.
- Improving expenditure quality by prioritizing education, health, pension reforms, and digital government payments.
- Strengthening the data ecosystem by reforming the Sindh Bureau of Statistics to track fiscal outcomes, integrate survey data, and improve tax forecasting.
The CM highlighted the Sindh Public Resources for Inclusive Development (PRID) initiative, aimed at increasing provincial revenue, implementing pension reforms, and ensuring timely budget allocations for schools. He also stressed digitizing government vendor payments to improve transparency and efficiency.
Karachi Mobility Project Makes Headway
In a separate meeting, the progress of the $3.86 billion World Bank portfolio was reviewed, covering 13 projects in health, education, social protection, urban management, and transport.
The Karachi Mobility Project (Yellow Line BRT) was spotlighted, with:
- 38% progress achieved on the Jam Sadiq Bridge (Phase I completion due by Aug 31, 2025).
- Two depots under development, reaching 16% progress.
- A 12 km BRT corridor (Phase I) with a $100 million budget entering the bidding phase; bus procurement to begin December 2025, with operations targeted for December 2027.
- Phase II expansion (7 km, $118 million) already designed and aligned for bidding.
- Road safety audits completed and feeder road upgrades (71 km) in progress.
Broader Social Development Initiatives
Other projects reviewed included:
- Sindh Early Learning Enhancement Project — improving literacy with 295 schools under development, solar panels and digital learning materials being deployed.
- Social Protection & Mother-Child Health Programs — enhancing access to healthcare via upgraded apps, district coordinators, and management systems.
- Sindh Integrated Health & Population Project (SIHPP) — recruiting community health workers, procuring 60 ambulances, and upgrading dispensaries.
- CLICK Project & NHSP — boosting urban management, solid waste services, and health sector funding with Rs 10 billion allocated.
The chief minister and World Bank delegation reaffirmed their commitment to timely completion of projects, ensuring transparency, accountability, and improved service delivery for citizens.
