ECC okays 50,000 ton sugar import, salary budget for PSM employees

ISLAMABAD: The Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) meeting on Thursday chaired by finance minister Shaukat Tarin has approved an Rs11 billion budget for the years 2021-22 remunerations of Pakistan Steel Mills employees, ARY News reported.

The ECC meeting scheduled today was centred around an 8-point agenda one of them being the import of sugar to meet the demands of the basic utility. An import of 50,000 ton of sugar in three stages.

Another item on the agenda is Kamyab Pakistan Program which shall kick start in Balochistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Azad Kashmir and Gilgit Baltistan first.

It shall also be extended to the underprivileged regions of Sindh and Punjab provinces, the sources privy to the ECC developments told ARY News.

Separately, the ECC also approved of funds to be passed on to the armed forces for defence expenditure after the summary by the defence ministry.

Shaukat Tarin announces direct subsidy for households on sugar, flour, pulses

Earlier yesterday, Shaukat Tarin announced a direct cash subsidy on sugar, flour, ghee and pulses, benefiting 12.50 million households across Pakistan.

Addressing a presser in Islamabad along with other PM’s aides Farrukh Habib and Jamshed Iqbal Cheema, the finance minister said that the government is taking steps to provide direct cash subsidy to the marginalized segments of the society on sugar, flour, ghee and pulses.

“This program to be launched next month will benefit 12.50 million households which are upto 42 per cent of the whole population,” he said. “Wheat is being released at the rate of Rs1950 per 40 kilograms. The price of sugar has been notified at Rs89.75 per kilogram.”