Finance adviser to chair ECC meeting today

ISLAMABAD: Adviser to Prime Minister on Finance Abdul Hafeez Shaikh will chair Economic Coordination Committee meeting today to discuss six-point agenda, ARY News reported on Wednesday.

The Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) will discuss a six-point agenda today, sources told ARY News. The participants of the meeting will mull over payment of salaries to the Pakistan Steel Mills (PSM) employee and ending regulatory and additional Customs duties on textile products.

It is also expected that a technical grant of Rs102 million to the Islamabad High Court (IHC) and a grant worth Rs85 million to the culture division. Moreover, the budget for the immunisation programme will be shifted from the development budget to revenue budget, sources said.

Earlier on September 17, the Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) had granted permission for wheat import in order to maintain stocks as per the requirement of the country. According to the declaration, the committee had allowed the concerned authorities to import wheat through tenders as per the requirement of the country.

Abdul Hafeez Shaikh had said that the availability of wheat is an important matter and it is necessary to maintain stocks. He also directed ensuring the availability of wheat on affordable prices across the country.

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Last week, the committee had given approval to grants to the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC), duty-free vehicles, railway and others. The Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) had granted permission to import duty-free vehicles for differently-abled persons and increased the income criteria up to Rs200,000 per month in accordance with an amendment.

The previous income criteria for differently-abled persons to purchase duty-free vehicles was ranging from Rs20,000 to Rs100,000 in a month. However, the committee imposed a condition for allowing those persons who have not purchased the duty-free vehicle since the last 10 years.

The decision for the establishment of Pakistan single-window company and its directors was approved. The committee had approved a technical supplementary grant of over Rs219 million for the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC). An additional grant of Rs6 billion was granted to the Ministry of Railways which will be spent on salaries, pensions and necessary expenditures worth Rs500 million on a monthly basis. Moreover, the supplementary grant worth more than Rs96 million has been approved for seminaries.

The summary for the provision of Rs160 million supplementary grant to the Federal Ministry for Education and Professional Training had been approved for ‘Hunar Sub Ke Liye’ programme. The committee had approved to publish Rolling Spectrum Strategy 2020-23.