PM Imran forms body to facilitate construction sector, housing projects

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Imran Khan on Monday formed a 13-member national coordination committee to facilitate the construction sector and low-cost housing projects, ARY NEWS reported.

The convener of the committee would be Chairman Naya Pakistan Housing and Development Authority while officials from housing, planning division, energy, petroleum, and law departments of the federal government would be part of it.

Deputy Governor State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) and chief secretaries of all provinces will also be a part of the committee.

A BPS-21 officer of the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) and a deputy chairman of the Naya Pakistan housing project will also assist the committee.

The 13-member body will meet twice in a week and review supplies to the housing sector and progress on the projects. It will identify the obstacles faced by the housing sector and would suggest ways to address it.

The body will also address issues faced by the housing sector in acquiring NOCs from concerned departments and issue directives to the departments.

It will facilitate the process to acquire permissions from concerned forums and will play the role of a focal point between the federal ministries and provinces.

Prime Minister Imran Khan will be submitted a progress report twice a week. It is pertinent to mention here that the federal cabinet on April 17 had approved an ordinance giving legal effect to the incentive package for the construction industry.

The package had been announced by Prime Minister Imran Khan earlier this month to increase employment opportunities in the country in wake of the coronavirus pandemic.

As per the ordinance, a fixed tax regime is being introduced for builders and developers. There will be no withholding tax on the constructional material except cement and steel.

Under the ordinance, the tax has been reduced by 90 percent for low-cost houses to be constructed under Naya Pakistan Housing Authority.