KARACHI: The Sindh cabinet, led by Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah, has approved a 7.5% increase in the provincial minimum wage, alongside measures to bolster food security and governance. The meeting was held at the Chief Minister’s House with provincial ministers, advisers, senior officials, and the Chief Secretary in attendance.
Key decisions include the authorization of importing 500,000 metric tonnes of wheat via the Trading Corporation of Pakistan (TCP) to mitigate an anticipated shortfall in the 2026-27 period. Officials projected a wheat deficit of approximately 1.69 million metric tonnes, with total availability estimated at 4.84 million tonnes against a yearly requirement of 6.53 million tonnes. The imports are coordinated with the federal government’s framework.
The cabinet also approved a 7.5% hike in the minimum wage, effective from July 1, 2026. The new monthly wage for unskilled workers will increase from Rs.40,000 to Rs.43,000, with similar adjustments for semi-skilled, skilled, and highly skilled workers across notified industrial and commercial sectors in Sindh.
Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah emphasized that these measures aim to enhance food security, improve public services, modernize governance, and support sustainable economic growth. He directed departments to swiftly implement the decisions.
Additional approvals include funding for the People’s Community Health Services Company for FY 2026-27, with Rs.200 million seed money and Rs.2.723 billion in grants. The cabinet also extended the contractual employment of 254 employees in the Education and Medical Departments of Town Municipal Corporation Lyari for one year, covering staff initially appointed during 2012-13 and transferred following local government restructuring.
Furthermore, the cabinet sanctioned the extension of the Sindh People’s Housing for Flood Affectees (SPHF) program to Gilgit-Baltistan, aimed at reconstructing 196 flood-damaged homes at an estimated cost of Rs.376.3 million. Proposed amendments to the Anti-Terrorism Act, 1997, and its 2025 revision were also approved for presentation in the Provincial Assembly.
