Utility Stores Corporation store in Multan. PHOTO: FILE
ISLAMABAD: The Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) of the cabinet on Wednesday directed the Utility Stores Corporation (USC) to expedite procurement of essential food items with a view to provide relief to the people during the upcoming holy month of Ramazan.
The ECC directed the finance ministry and the National Bank of Pakistan to facilitate the USC in the procurement process and formed a four-member committee to oversee the implementation of the Ramazan Package.
The ECC, which met with Finance Minister Asad Umar in the chair, reviewed the proposals of ministries and divisions, and approved various demands of for supplementary and technical supplementary grants, read a hand-out.
During the meeting, the industries and production division gave a presentation to update the committee about the status of Ramazan Package. It formed a four-member committee, headed by Railways Minister Sheikh Rashid, to oversee the implementation of the package.
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The committee directed the USC to expedite the procurement of essential consumer items so as to provide timely relief to the people in the holy month. It also directed the finance ministry and the National Bank to facilitate the USC in this regard.
The finance minister told the committee that the budgetary needs of many organisations were not assessed properly at the time of preparation of budget estimates last year, which had led to a large number of demands for supplementary grants.
He emphasised the need for proper budgeting of the financial needs by various departments to obviate the need for supplementary grants. “The government is determined to phase out the supplementary grants in the future budgets,” he said.
The meeting approved a proposal from the information ministry for a media campaign aimed at disseminating information about the government’s initiatives on poverty alleviation, Sehat Insaaf Scheme, and the Naya Pakistan Housing Scheme etc.
On the occasion, the petroleum ministry gave a briefing on the implementation of the committee’s decision regarding utilisation of railways services for transportation of petroleum products across the country. The railways ministry of informed the committee that it had the capacity to carry higher volumes and would work with the Ministry of Petroleum to explore further possibilities.
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