ISLAMABAD: The Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) approved Supplementary and Technical Supplementary Grants (TSG) of Rs 422.3 billion on Monday in favour of various divisions.
Minister for Finance and Revenue Ishaq Dar chaired the meeting, where other ministers, former prime minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, secretaries and officials also attended the meeting.
The Committee accorded approval to the summary of the Ministry of Communications for issuance of the Government of Pakistan’s (GoP) guarantee amounting to Rs 9,500 million for the construction of the Hyderabad-Sukkur Motorway on a build-operate-transfer basis.
The ECC also gave approval of Rs 12 billion for the National Disaster Management Authority for procurement of relief items to restock/replenish its reserves in the line to have better preparation to respond to any forthcoming disaster.
The ECC accorded approval on the summary of the Ministry of National Health Services, Regulations and Coordination on fixation of maximum retail prices (MRPs) of 49 new drugs on the basis of being lower against prices in the neighbouring countries.
These drugs are being introduced in Pakistan for the first time, mostly at rates considerably lower than the region.
Supplementary Grant to Other Sectors
The committee approved the Supplementary and Technical Supplementary Grant of Rs 839.129 million for the project titled “New Gwadar International Airport (NIGA) of Ministry of Aviation.
ECC also approved TSGs of Rs 120.450 million and Rs 140.584 million for the Establishment Division for the CFY 2022-23 to address the shortfall of ERE and Non-ERE components and for the payment to government departments for services rendered from different sources, respectively. It also accorded approval of Rs 116.499 million to the Ministry of Human Rights for meeting the shortfall in essential expenditures in various organizations working under it.
The committee rendered approval of TSG of Rs 700 million for the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting to cover the shortfall during CFY 2022-23.
In addition, TSG of Rs 48 million for the Ministry of Interior was approved for the release of funds to HQ Frontier Corps (North) KP for the construction of FATA Levies Centre at Shakas, Peshawar, Rs 470.827 for the payment of troops cost/subsistence allowance to the personnel of Civil Armed Forces deployed in UN Peacekeeping Missions and Rs 66.336 million for the construction of Frontier Constabulary Training Center, Michni, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The funds were granted by the US as in aid to Pakistan for capacity building of the civil armed forces.
The committee also approved more Technical Supplementary Grants for the Ministry of Interior, including Rs 347.99 million to complete the raising process of the 6th Battalion of Pakistan Post Guards for anti-smuggling purposes, Rs. 49.5 million for further disbursement of the amount as financial assistance for the families of Shuhada and injured persons of the Swat terrorism incident and Rs. 1,251.374 million for the FATA Temporary Displaced Persons Emergency Recovery Project (TDP-ERP) of NADRA to serve the vulnerable families, affected by military operations.
Moreover, a Technical Supplementary Grant of Rs 9,145 million was approved for the Power Division for the execution of 2×660 MW Coal-fired Power Project Jamshoro, Rs. 110.653 million for the National Counter Terrorism Authority (NACTA) to strengthen NACTA within its current mandate, Rs. 48.429 million for the Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs to meet its ERE shortfall; Rs. 1422.394 million for the Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission to meet its ERE shortfall and Rs. 5,252 million for the Ministry of Defence for meeting ERE shortfall and Rs 402.251 billion for the Economic Affairs Division (EAD) for servicing of foreign loans and credits.
