The Council of Common Interests (CCI) on Saturday agreed to work on a formula for distribution of Zakat by the provinces and to expedite work on compensation to the people affected by the devastating floods of last summer. The CCI, which met with Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani in the chair, also sought proposals from the Ministry of Water and Power to co-ordinate with the provinces, regarding permission for power generation, and directed to submit its proposals within a week.
The CCI meeting was attended by Chief Minister of Punjab Shahbaz Sharif, Chief Minister of Sindh Qaim Ali Shah, Chief Minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Amir Haider Hoti and Chief Minister of Balochistan Muhammad Aslam Raisani. The meeting held here in the PM Secretariat decided that the distribution of Zakat should be solely handled by provinces following the devolution and after the implementation of the 18th Constitutional Amendment.
The four chief ministers decided to work out a consensus formula for the disbursement of the Zakat fund. The Council of Common Interests, set up with the objective to resolve issues between provinces and the federal government, also decided to expedite compensation to the people affected by the devastating floods of last year. The chief ministers were urged to provide details of each household victim within two weeks so that the federal government may release necessary funds.
The CCI also approved the proposal of submitting the Special Economic Zone Act 2011 to the Parliament, so as to expedite setting up of such new zones, to help attract more investment, increase employment opportunities and provide a competitive environment for doing business. The meeting decided that the Finance Ministry would hold meetings with the provincial finance departments and finalise proposals on Public Debt Management Policy for submission to the National Economic Council. The CCI was informed that it would be briefed on debt management at a later stage at an exclusive meeting.
The meeting decided to include the chief secretaries of provinces while undertaking privatisation of the power sector. The meeting was also attended by chief secretaries and officials of the Cabinet Division, ministries of Finance, Economic Affairs Division and the Planning Division.
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