Sindh mulls imposing tax on private schools, medical services

The Sindh government is gearing up to impose a tax on private schools and medical consultation to bring education institutions and hospitals into the tax net.

Chief Minister Sindh Murad Ali Shah, who also has a portfolio as Finance Minister, presented the proposal before the Provincial Assembly on Thursday.

According to his recommendation, those schools whose annual fees were more than Rs500,000 and consultants who charge over Rs3,000 as their fees would pay a 3 percent tax.

Under the proposal, the Sindh government was also deliberating on bringing hospitals into the tax net, which charges Rs25,000 per day for a private room or bed.

The Sindh Revenue Board will begin collecting the tax on July 1 after approval of the budget from the Provincial Assembly.

CM said every school that was collecting Rs42,000 in fees per month would pay tax.

The tax would be taken from the private institutes and given to the education department, he added.

CM highlighted that the priorities of the government were future projects, including upgrading the social, economic, and political situation in the province.

The minister vowed to work for the betterment of the province, as he believed that he was accountable to the people of Sindh, not to the media.

According to Shah, the Sindh government completed 3,580 projects in five years, while the federal government did not initiate even a single project in Sindh during 2018–2022.