Sindh Govt starts talks with WB for soft loans

He reminded that after formation of Sindh cabinet, the first issue he took up with the Prime Minister during his first visit to Sindh, was reconstitution of the NFC.

Shah further said, "He requested the prime minister that resources must not be distributed on the basis of previous government's revenue order announced by President Musharraf and demanded that new award should be announced before the Budget 2008-09."

Information Minister Shazia Marri, Chief Secretary Fazul Rehman, Additional Chief Secretary Planning and Development Department, Secretary Finance Department Ghulam Ali Pasha, Special Secretary Finance Department Naheed Durrani and other officials of various departments were also present during post budget press conference of CM.

Depicting the financial woes of province, he said that Sindh was rich in natural resources such as gas, crude oil and coal but population based distribution of resources among the federating units and less transfers from Islamabad resulting in worse financial woes for province.

The GST on services was the sole property of provinces and their major source of income which was given to federal government during unelected Pervez Musharraf government in 2000. He demanded that this tax should be transferred back to provinces.