Ramazan Package on agenda as ECC meets today
The Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) of the Cabinet will meet here on Wednesday (today) with Finance Minister Dr Hafeez Shaikh in the chair, to discuss 20-point agenda including the amount of subsidies under the Ramazan Package.
The meeting will also consider providing information to the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) regarding the final negotiations between the private power companies and the government and the memoranda of understandings and agreements between the two sides.
According to the agenda, a copy of which is available with The Express Tribune, the ECC meeting will also assess fertiliser requirement for the year 2021 and decide about the quantity of Urea to be imported this year.
The meeting will also consider the approval of a Ramazan package worth more than Rs100 billion to provide daily use items to the people during the holy month at affordable rates through the utility stores.
The meeting will consider a summary for the federal excise duty exemption on 10 vehicles imported by the National Food Security Ministry for the anti-locust operations. The oil marketing companies and dealer margins on petroleum products will also be reviewed in the meeting.
The ECC will take up a summary for disbursement of funds to the power sector for the current financial year and discuss the government guarantee for acquisition of Rs15.25 billion financing facility through private banks for transmission of electricity from the Thar coal-based power project.
A summary of the Power Division will be discussed in detail about provision of information to NAB on the final negotiations, MoUs and agreements between the private power companies and the government of Pakistan.
The meeting will also consider the Cabinet Division’s summary regarding allocation of funds to the ministries and divisions through supplementary grants. It will also consider the provision of technical supplementary grant to the law and justice division for the federal insurance ombudsman.
The meeting is also likely to approve a technical supplementary grant of Rs1.5 billion for the housing and works ministry for the current financial year 2020-21 under the Prime Minister’s low-cost housing scheme.
In addition, a technical supplementary grant of Rs334.36 million will be approved for the payment of allowances to the personnel of the Pakistan armed forces, who are deployed in the United Nations Peacekeeping Force.
According to the document, a technical supplementary grant will also be approved for World Bank-funded projects related to Cove 19. Besides the meeting will also consider the import of cotton through the Torkham border.