Karachi: Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah has accused the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) of collecting Rs 22 billion from 500 industries in Sindh between 2014 and 2021 without transferring the funds to the provincial government. He announced plans to engage with the federal government to recover what he described as workers’ money.

According to Chief Minister Sindh, during a joint meeting of the Department of Labor and Finance on Friday, it was revealed that the FBR has not remitted the funds collected under the Sindh Welfare Workers Fund (SWWF) and Sindh Workers Participation Fund (SWPPF). Provincial Ministers Saeed Ghani, Zia-ul-Hasan Lanjar, Shahid Tahim, Mayor Karachi Murtaza Wahab, and several secretaries attended the meeting, discussing the broader implications of this non-transfer on provincial finances and worker welfare.

The Chief Minister highlighted that other revenues collected from inter-provincial institutions such as DCL, PPL, SSGC, and Engro Group have also not been duly transferred to the Sindh government. This issue, particularly concerning the SWWF and SWPPF, is currently under litigation, with Rs 25.36 billion in contention, now deposited in court pending a decision by the Sindh High Court.

The meeting underscored the Workers Welfare Board’s role in utilizing these funds, which include constructing housing for workers, providing quality education through Workers Model Schools and Colleges, and offering financial aids such as scholarships and dowry assistance for workers’ daughters.

Shah expressed his intention to discuss these matters directly with the Prime Minister to ensure the swift transfer of funds and proper distribution of assets and balances from federal institutions to the Workers Welfare Board (WWF) and Old Age Benefits Institution (EOBI).