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KARACHI: Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah presided over the first meeting of the Sindh Fund Management House (SFMH) Board, formally establishing it as the province’s central platform for managing designated government funds. “This House will ensure that every rupee of public money is invested transparently, professionally, and for the long-term benefit of the people of Sindh,” the Chief Minister said. The Board reviewed the Sindh Fund Management House Act, 2021, which legally empowers SFMH to act as the primary institutional platform for designated government funds. The Board’s mandate now includes overseeing SFMH operations and approving its annual operational budget; reviewing and recommending rules and investment policies for final approval by the Sindh government and ensuring all activities comply with the SFMH Act and remain within approved risk parameters. Currently, SFMH manages 16 designated funds, including the Sindh Province Pension Fund (est. 2002), the Sindh Social Relief Fund (est. 2006) and the Sindh General Provident Investment Fund (est. 2007). A major outcome of the meeting was the approval in principle of the Draft SFMH Investment Policy, 2026, which replaces the 2021 guidelines with stronger safeguards and clearer definitions of ‘permissible’ and ‘prohibited’ investments. The 2026 policy introduces specific limits to protect public capital, including equities capped at 15 per cent of total fund size, with no more than 3 per cent exposure to any single scrip; mutual funds limited to schemes with a minimum rating of ‘AM2++’ and a fund size of at least Rs5 billion. It includes a complete ban on high-risk activities such as currency speculation, commodities trading and unsecured derivatives. To ensure timely and professional execution of investment decisions, the CM approved the proposed composition of the Investment Committee, to be chaired by the Chief Secretary. The committee will evaluate and recommend investment proposals within approved policy and risk limits; manage and periodically review the panel of approved brokers and asset managers, and monitor portfolio performance against approved benchmarks and report regularly to the Board. The Board also decided to delegate important operational powers to the Investment Committee, including the authority to execute bank guarantees and standby letters of credit for government-initiated projects within defined limits. The Board discussed improving returns on the Sindh Social Relief Fund (SSRF). The fund is currently earning 8.5 per cent in a daily product account. The Board reviewed a proposal to shift these balances into short-term Treasury Bills, which are presently offering yields between 10.40 per cent and 10.50 per cent. Approving the direction in principle, the Chief Minister said, “Social relief funds must not lie idle in low-yield accounts. Every additional rupee we earn here can support vulnerable families in Sindh. However, we will move carefully, in phases, and strictly within our risk framework.” He said that the reforms approved in the first SFMH Board meeting are part of a broader strategy to strengthen provincial finances. He said by adopting professionalism to manage pension, provident and social funds, we are building a strong financial cushion for Sindh. This will help us meet future obligations without putting additional burden on our people, he said directing the Board to submit quarterly progress reports to his office. The meeting was attended by Chief Secretary Asif Hyder Shah, MPAs Shiraz Shaukat Rajpar and Sadia Javed, Chairman P&D Najam Shah, Secretary Finance Fayaz Jatoi and other senior officials. Copyright Business Recorder, 2026
