Failing the public |
WHETHER it is Sindh’s struggle to secure clean drinking water or Balochistan’s difficulty in improving the governance of its finances, the respective budgets of the two provinces reveal a deeper problem: they place greater emphasis on accounting than improving daily life for their citizens. While the books must be kept in order, budget decisions should also ensure better public services, stronger infrastructure and improved living standards. As recurrent spending continues to rise and development allocations come under pressure due to the centre’s demands on provincial resources, the challenge for both provinces is to build the institutional capacity and........