CCI okays Rs350b project to curb stunting

Centre to bear 50% cost of the scheme spanning over five years

ISLAMABAD:

The Council of Common Interests (CCI) on Wednesday unanimously approved a project to costing around Rs350 billion curb malnutrition-induced stunting in the country.

The project, “Tackling Malnutrition-Induced Stunting in Pakistan”, is spread over a span of five years (FY 2020-25).

The participants of the 43rd meeting of the CCI, chaired by Prime Minister Imran Khan and attended by the chief ministers of the four provinces, ministers, the advocate general for Pakistan among others, took serious note of the critical issue of malnutrition and stunted growth among children.

It was agreed that 50% of the project’s cost -- Rs175 billion – would be provided by federal government. The provincial governments would bear an equal amount of the cost for the next five years.

The project will target 30% of the total population of the country with 15 million women from the reproductive age group and 3.9 million children under the age of two years through nutrition interventions.

It was agreed that the federal government would provide nutrition supplementary commodities and assist in the capacity building of new and existing healthcare workers and research and monitoring.

The provinces will contribute towards the implementation through the involvement of existing lady health workers, community health workers, target population identification, programme management, institutional arrangement, evaluation and data sharing.

The CCI considered the request of the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa government for a one-time permission to swap or substitute the arrangement of one exploration block with another prospective block within the province.

The forum accorded the one-time approval for the swap with the condition that commitments accruing out of the previous award of the block should be completed and the petroleum division should incorporate a time limit for such swaps so that future requests are catered for.

The CCI also reviewed the implementation status of its previous decisions. Keeping in view the importance of developing a consensus on the energy issues of the country, it was decided that next meeting of the forum would be called in the first month of next year to finalise matters related to the costs of electricity, gas and fuel and also address water-related issues

PM Imran noted that energy issues carried a national impact and it was necessary to develop a consensus among the provinces where a win-win result could be achieved for the benefit of the people.

During the previous CCI meeting, Special Assistant to the PM on Petroleum Division Nadeem Babar had informed the participants that the country would face a major gas shortage by the winter of 2021-2022 because of the dwindling reserves.

The SAPM gave detailed presentation to the CCI on the annual demand and supply situation of gas with special reference to the future requirements and decreasing domestic reserves.

The issue of sharing the windfall levy was also decided at the last meeting. It was decided that 50% share of the receipts, collected under the head windfall levy on crude oil, condensate and natural gas under the Petroleum Policy, 2012, would be shared with the province concerned.

The previous meeting had unanimously approved the Alternative and Renewable Energy Policy, 2019 and the placement of annual reports for the years 2017-18, 2018-19, 2019-20 before the National Assembly and Senate.