ECC approves supplementary grants, electric vehicle policy  

ISLAMABAD: Adviser to Prime Minister on Finance and Revenue Abdul Hafeez Shaikh on Wednesday chaired a meeting of Economic Coordination Committee (ECC), ARY NEWS reported.

The meeting mulled over a 12-point agenda and approved the electric vehicle policy. The policy deals with the two-wheeler and three-wheeler vehicles and is aimed at lowering tariffs and taxes.

A policy for four-wheeler vehicles would be approved in the next meeting. It also approved supplementary grants for various federal departments, which would be tabled alongside the budget 2020-21 for approval in the Parliament.

It included a supplementary grant of Rs 7.24 billion for health ministry while Rs funds of upto Rs 3.82 billion were approved to overcome shortfall in foreign ministry.

Under the funds approved for health ministry, Rs 79 million would be provided to Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) Islamabad.

An additional salary and risk allowance for healthcare workers in the country was also approved by the ECC. An amount of Rs 50.48 billion for this purpose would be provided from monetary relief package and would be disbursed among 3,432 employees of 10 health centres.

The allowance would be provided for next four months and any review to continue the allowance would be made after the period.

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The ECC also approved a Rs 168.1 million grant as an allowance for personnel deployed at the United Nations (UN) missions while a grant of Rs 18.3 million was approved for privatization ministry.

The meeting also approved an amount of Rs 8.4 billion for Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP). The amount would be disbursed in the Punjab province under the Ehsaas programme.

The ECC also approved Rs 500 million for two projects in Islamabad while Rs 450 billion would be provided to the capital city’s administration for a sustainable development project.

An amount of Rs 3.37 billion was approved for group insurance of non-gazette employees to be provided to establishment division.