ECC approves Rs42.5b grant for ECP to hold general elections

ISLAMABAD: The Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) has approved a technical supplementary grant worth Rs42.528 billion for the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) for conducting general elections.

The approval was granted at a meeting of ECC held in Islamabad today with Finance Minister Ishaq Dar in the chair.

The meeting also approved 200 million rupees technical supplementary grant for Special Investment Facilitation Council (SIFC), read a press release issued by the finance ministry.

Finance Minister Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar chaired meeting of the Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) of the Cabinet, today and approved funds as TSG for Election Commission of Pakistan and Special Investment Facilitation Council. (1/2).. pic.twitter.com/WMY0SQHW2q

— Ministry of Finance (@FinMinistryPak) July 20, 2023

The meeting also accorded approval to summaries of Ministry of Information and Broadcasting regarding charging electricity rates to Cinema Houses and Ministry of Commerce regarding export of vegetable ghee and cooking oil from export processing zones to Afghanistan through land routes.

It also approved revised cess rates for tobacco for the year 2023-24.

READ: Electoral reforms: ‘Consensus reached on Election Act amendments’

Earlier in the day, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) secretary announced that they are fully ready to hold general elections in the country.

During an informal conversation with journalists outside the ECP headquarters, Omar Hamid Khan said that the commission is fully ready to hold general elections. “Four months will be required for new delimitations if new census results are approved.”

The ECP secretary said that they will make a decision in accordance with the law if new census results are approved by the federal government.

“We forwarded more than 60 recommendations to the electoral reforms committee. Almost all of ECP’s recommendations were accepted by the electoral reforms committee.”

“However, the formal announcement for the acceptance of the recommendations is yet to be made,” the secretary said.

ECP Special Secretary Zafar Iqbal told the media that the commission would hold general elections by October 11 if assemblies are dissolved on August 12.