Centre trims share of Sindh in GDS

KARACHI - The Sindh government has strongly protested against federal government over reduction of Sindh’s share in the Gas Development Surcharge, The Nation learnt on Thursday.

The provincial government has decided to raise the issue in the upcoming maiden meeting of the National Finance Commission, official sources told The Nation.

The concerned officials of provincial finance department confirmed that Sindh government had already taken up the issue with the high ups of federal government but they did not respond positively.

Without taking into confidence to provincial authorities, the federal government had further reduced the share of Sindh in GDS in current FY2008-09, official said.  Giving the detail of federal receipts under Gas Development Surcharge official said the Sindh had received Rs15.620 billion in financial year 2005-06 while due to increase in the production and hike in prices of gas, the share of Sindh jumped to around Rs22 billion in FY2006-07.