ECC approves over Rs422 supplementary grants

ISLAMABAD: The Economic Coordination Committee (ECC), in addition to other decisions on Monday, approved Supplementary and Technical Supplementary Grants (TSG) of Rs422.3 billion in favour of various divisions.

Finance Minister Senator Ishaq Dar chaired the ECC meeting, which was attended by Minister for Industries and Production Syed Murtaza Mahmud, MNA Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, Minister of State for Finance Dr Aisha Ghous Pasha, Minister of State for Petroleum Musadik Masood Malik and others.

The ECC accorded approval to the summary of Ministry of Communications for issuance of Government of Pakistan’s (GoP) guarantee amounting to Rs9,500 million for the construction of Hyderabad-Sukkur Motorway on build-operate-transfer basis.

The committee also approved Rs12 billion for the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) for procurement of relief items to restock/replenish its reserves in order to be better prepared to respond to any impending disaster.

The ECC on the summary of Ministry of National Health Services, Regulations and Coordination approved fixation of maximum retail prices (MRPs) of 49 new drugs on the basis of being lower as compared to their prices in the neighbouring countries.

These drugs are being introduced in Pakistan for the first time mostly at prices considerably lower than the region.

The committee approved Supplementary and Technical Supplementary Grant of Rs839.129 million for the project titled “New Gwadar International Airport (NIGA) of Ministry of Aviation.

It also approved TSGs of Rs120.450 million and Rs140.584 million for the Establishment Division for the CFY 2022-23 to meet the shortfall of ERE and Non-ERE components, and for the payment to government departments for services rendered from various sources respectively; and Rs116.499 million for the Ministry of Human Rights for meeting the shortfall in essential expenditures in different organizations working under it.

The committee approved TSG of Rs 700 million for the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting to meet the shortfall during CFY 2022-23.

Similarly, for the Ministry of Interior TSG of Rs48 million was approved for release of funds to HQ Frontier Corps (North) KP for the construction of FATA Levies Centre at Shakas, Peshawar, Rs470.827 for the payment of troops cost/subsistence allowance to the personnel of Civil Armed Forces deployed in UN Peacekeeping Missions and Rs 66.336 million for the construction of Frontier Constabulary Training Center, Michni, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

“The funds had been granted in aid to Pakistan by the United States for capacity building of the civil armed forces,” the statement noted.

The ECC also approved more TSGs for the Ministry of Interior, including Rs347.99 million to complete the raising process of 6th Battalion of Pakistan Post Guards for anti-smuggling purpose; Rs1,251.374 million for the FATA Temporary Displaced Persons Emergency Recovery Project (TDP-ERP) of NADRA to serve the vulnerable families, affected by military operations; and Rs49.5 million for further disbursement of amount as financial assistance for the families of Shuhada and injured persons of the Swat terrorism incident.

Likewise, TSG of Rs9,145 million was approved for the Power Division for the execution of 2×660 MW Coal-fired Power Project Jamshoro; Rs48.429 million for the Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs to meet its ERE shortfall; Rs1422.394 million for the Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission to meet its ERE shortfall; Rs110.653 million for the National Counter Terrorism Authority (NACTA) to strengthen NACTA within its current mandate; Rs5,252 million for the Ministry of Defence for meeting ERE shortfall and Rs402.251 billion for the Economic Affairs Division (EAD) for servicing of foreign loans and credits.