The Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) of the Cabinet has expressed concern over progress of wheat procurement, and sought a detailed report on progress of wheat procurement by the PASSCO and provincial food departments, and overall wheat production backed by reliable data and figures.
A meeting of the ECC presided over by Advisor to Prime Minister on Finance Dr Abdul Hafeez was informed that, "so far PASSCO and the provincial food departments had procured 3.96 million tons of wheat, approximately 48 percent of the target, while the procurement pace was slow in KP and Balochistan, and both the provinces had been requested to speed up the procurement process".
The ECC was informed that 4.5 million tons of wheat to be procured by Punjab, 1.4 million tons by Sindh, 0.4 million tons by the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, 0.1 million tons by Balochistan, and 1.8 million tons by the PASSCO to achieve 8.25 million target.
An official on condition of anonymity also acknowledged that on wheat procurement data, secretary Ministry of National Food and Research maintained that the ministry has to rely on the data provided by the provinces and stated he would be able to inform the ECC about actual procurement in two to three weeks as the situation was evolving on day-to-day basis.
The ECC directed the ministry to submit to ECC detailed report in the next two to three weeks on the progress of wheat procurement by the PASSCO and provincial food departments and overall wheat production in the country with the help of reliable data and figures to have a clearer picture for better planning in the future and wanted the Food Ministry to closely monitor the wheat procurement process, and actively engage with the food departments and PASSCO to ensure procurement of wheat as per 8.25 million tons target set for procurement by the public sector this year.
The ECC also called for exploring possibilities for extending more time to flour mills to procure wheat from the market, allowing inter-provincial movement and preventing smuggling of wheat outside Pakistan.
The ECC gave the instruction after a report was presented to it by the Ministry of National Food on wheat procurement by the public sector in the current season.
On a proposal by the Ministry of Energy for development of a new mechanism for disbursement of payments to the tune of Rs300 billion through the CPPA-G to the power generators, the ECC directed the Power Division to devise the requisite criterion for fair and equitable disbursement of payments to the power generators and come back to the ECC for its approval.
The ECC also approved the proposal of shifting of most expensive loan from the books of Power Holding Limited (PHL) to government by taking up of Rs136.454 billion loan in the fiscal year 2019-2020 and other loans to be considered in the following financial years accordingly.
The ECC gave go-ahead to issuance of new sovereign guarantee by the Ministry of Finance in respect of fresh syndicated term finance facility for Rs41 billion through Power Holding Limited (PHL) for the purpose of set-off/adjustment of existing PHL finance facility of Rs41 billion executed in pursuance of the ECC decision made on June 07, 2017.
The ECC, on a proposal by the Petroleum Division, asked the Finance Division to transfer Rs11.7 billion in the National Bank of Pakistan (NBP) account for ensuring remittances to Kuwait as per schedule.
The ECC also considered proposal of fixing an intervention price for cotton and after a detailed discussion asked the ministry to come up with a comprehensive package focusing on cotton seed research, overall research and development, better water management, deregulation of the sector and zoning of crop growing areas to enhance productivity and competitiveness of the local crop.
Sources said the ECC unanimously dismissed the proposal of support prices for cotton and suggested that instead of support price, the research and development should be priority with emphasis on seed.
The ECC also discussed and approved five separate supplementary grants on various proposals submitted by various divisions.
On two separate proposals for technical supplementary grants by the Defence Division, Rs1.665 billion grant was approved for up-gradation of Special Telecom Monitoring Project at Directorate ISI and a Rs500 million for construction of Special Education School at the Defence Complex, Islamabad.
On a proposal by the Prime Minister's Inspection Commission, a technical supplementary grant of Rs10.476 million was approved for assistance package for the family of Raees Anwar Abbasi, senior private secretary (BS-19), Prime Minister's Inspection Commission following his death on August 12, 2019.
On a proposal for technical supplementary grant by the Poverty Alleviation and Social Safety Division, an amount of Rs12.143 million was approved following transfer of the subject of "Collection of Zakat and Ushr, disbursement of Zakat and Ushr to the Provinces and other areas as per formula approved by the Council of Common Interest" from Religious Affairs and Interfaith Harmony to the PA&SS Division and subsequent transfer of officers along with their posts and budgets by the Ministry of Religious Affairs and Interfaith Harmony to the PA&SS Division.
On another proposal for technical supplementary grant by the Finance Division, the ECC approved Rs306.615 million for the Office of Controller General of Accounts during FY 2019-2020 for payment of dues on account of the Prime Minister's Assistance Package.
On a proposal by the Ministry of Interior, the ECC allowed the Capital Development Authority (CDA) Islamabad to allocate Rs3.05 billion to the Metropolitan Corporation Islamabad (MCI) on loan basis for payment of obligatory expenses for the second half of the FY 2019-2020.
The ECC also considered and approved a proposal for reconstitution of a committee formed by the ECC in its meeting on March 26, 2020 for examination of incentive package for the National Electronic Vehicle Policy by nominating the Minister for Industries and Production Hammad Azhar in place of Abdul Razak Dawood as chairman and member of the committee.
The ECC also considered and approved a proposal by the Ministry of Maritime Affairs for extension due to coronavirus pandemic of free period from five working days to 15 working days for cargo and containers landing for the period up to May 31, 2020.
The ECC also approved another proposal by the Ministry of Maritime Affairs for technical supplementary grant of Rs58 million as compensation of the demolished structures of Pakistan Coast Guards in order to provide 19 acres of land previously in possession of the Pakistan Coast Guards and vacated for Gwadar Free Zone and Right of Way of the Eastbay Expressway.
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