Independent report
KARACHI, November 12: The Sindh government is taking steps to make public investment in children more transparent, evidence-based and accountable by incorporating Public Finance for Children (PF4C) into the provincial budget system.
The initiative, being led by the Finance Department with technical support from UNICEF, builds on the inclusion of dedicated PF4C guidelines in Sindh’s Budget Call Circular for FY2027-28, covering both recurrent expenditure and Annual Development Programme (ADP) schemes.
As part of the initiative, the Finance Department is conducting capacity-building training for government officials to help them identify, classify and report budget allocations related to children.
The training brings together officials responsible for budget preparation, planning and financial management from various provincial departments. Through practical exercises, participants are learning to identify child-related expenditure, classify investments across relevant programme areas and use evidence to determine the share of allocations benefiting children.
The reform is expected to improve the government’s understanding of public spending on children and strengthen budget planning, resource prioritization, transparency and accountability. It will also lay the foundation for a provincial PF4C Budget Statement.
The Finance Department will lead the budget-tagging process, including reviewing and consolidating departmental submissions, while UNICEF will continue providing technical assistance and capacity-building support.
The four-day training was formally inaugurated on November 10 by Additional Secretary Finance Kashif Ali Tipu. Sessions were conducted by public finance expert Zulfiqar Mirza alongside the UNICEF team.
UNICEF Social Policy Lead Syed Sajjad Imran reaffirmed the organisation’s long-term partnership with the Sindh government in promoting child-responsive budgeting.
