ISLAMABAD: The Economic Coordination Committee Wednesday granted its approval for jacking up the controversial Sustainable Development Goals Programme from Rs87 billion to Rs90 billion.
These budgetary resources were doled out for a discretionary development programme known as SAP.
Federal Finance Minister Ishaq Dar presided over the meeting of the Economic Coordination Committee (ECC).
The government had allocated Rs70 billion for SAP in the current fiscal year 2022-2023, and additional funds of Rs17 billion were provided through Technical Supplementary Grants (TSGs). On the recommendation of the Steering Committee of Cabinet Division, the government released Rs87 billion to ministries, divisions, and provinces.
Out of Rs87 billion released amount, the government provided Rs5.3 billion to the Ministry of Housing & Works for schemes in KP, Rs1.1 billion for the Ministry of Energy for schemes in KP, Rs38.1 billion to the Ministry of Housing for development schemes in Punjab, Rs6.5 billion for M/O Energy for schemes in Punjab, Rs 18.8 billion for Government of Sindh, Rs8.4 billion for M/O Housing & works for schemes in Sindh, Rs355 million for M/O Energy for schemes of Sindh, Rs2 billion for Government of Balochistan, Rs4.8 billion for M/O Housing & Works for schemes in Balochistan and Rs100 million for Ministry of Energy for schemes in Balochistan.
Now the Planning Ministry has surrendered an additional Rs3 billion in favour of the Cabinet Division for the completion of development schemes in deprived areas. So the SAP funding was jacked up by Rs3 billion from Rs87 billion to Rs90 billion for the completion of small schemes in 20222033.
The ECC also considered a summary of the Ministry of National Health Services, regulations, and coordination and approved an increase in the MRP of one drug as per the recommendation of the Drug Pricing Committee.
The ECC approved a summary submitted by the Ministry of Commerce and allowed TCP to carry out pre-shipment inspection of imported wheat at load ports by its already pre-qualified six (06) international pre-shipment inspection agencies (PSIAs) to ensure the quality of imported wheat as per approved specifications. It was informed that several wheat consignments are due in the coming months.
The ECC considered a summary of the Ministry of Poverty Alleviation and Social Safety on subsidy for wheat seed (Rabi 2022-23) and allowed the provision of Rs8.39 billion through TSG in favour of BISP for cash subsidies to farmers in flood-affected areas instead of the provision of wheat seeds as per the recommendations of the committee. Further, the ECC directed BISP to initiate cash disbursement through its partner bank as per eligibility criteria and the amount to be disbursed to each eligible person identified by the government of Sindh.
The ECC also considered and approved two summaries of the Ministry of Interior regarding the grant of financial aid of Rs10 million to the legal heirs of the deceased who died during the recent suicide blast at I-10 Markaz, Islamabad, and Rs20 million for the legal heirs of the deceased who died during the recent long march of a political party.
