ISLAMABAD: The federal cabinet Tuesday rejected the summary of the Ministry of National Health Services, Regulations, and Coordination to increase retail prices of 10 different medicines.
The cabinet meeting was held under the chairmanship of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.
Speaking on the occasion, Prime Minister Shehbaz said that he did not support the idea of further increasing the rates of medicines.
The cabinet also approved the summary of the Ministry of Interior to accept mutual legal assistance requests from countries with which Pakistan has no written agreement regarding legal assistance.
The prime minister directed Finance Minister Miftah Ismail, Minister for Food Security Tariq Bashir Cheema, Minister for Maritime Affairs Faisal Sabzwari, Commerce Minister Syed Naveed Qamar, and Advisor on Kashmir Affairs and Gilgit-Baltistan Qamar Zaman Kaira for improving harmony among provinces regarding fixing of wheat prices and distribution of urea.
The cabinet discussed an inquiry report regarding the overbooking of the Government Hajj Scheme quota. A committee was formed including the representatives of the Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Religious Affairs, and the State Bank to look into the matter. It was told that no bad intention was found in this matter.
However, the banks, which overbooked the Government Hajj quota, have paid the compensation amount to the pilgrims. On this matter, the prime minister directed the Ministry of Finance and the State Bank of Pakistan to seek an explanation from such banks and the reason behind this negligence.
Prices of medicines on the rise: BR survey
He directed the State Bank of Pakistan for issuing instructions to the concerned banks to continue working on off-days as well in the flood-hit areas. The prime minister issued instructions to the State Bank of Pakistan to allow the banks in the flood-affected areas to continue their work even on holidays.
On the recommendation of the Ministry of Science and Technology, the federal cabinet has approved the extension of the minimum energy performance standards for electric fans till June 30, 2023.
However, the prime minister directed the Ministry of Science and Technology to make every effort to bring the minimum energy performance standards to better quality before June 30, 2023.
The federal cabinet approved the following decisions taken in the meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Legislative Cases on September 2, 2022: Approval of Amendments in the Rule-13 of the Bio-Study Rules 2017; Approval of amendments in Section-15 of Emigration Ordinance 1979; Approval for amendments in Gas (Theft Control and Recovery) Act2016; Approval of amendments in service rules for the post of secretary, Evacuee Trust Property Board; and Inclusion of (i) solar equipment (ii) electric motors (iii) power transformers in the mandatory list of the Pakistan Standards and Quality Control Authority.
The federal cabinet also gave approval of funds amounting to Rs540 million in favour of the Utility Stores Corporation for the provision of essential commodities in flood-affected areas.
The other ECC decisions include allocation of PASCO’s local and imported wheat stock among recipient agencies; transfer of amount to the Afghanistan government on functioning, maintenance, and salaries of three Pakistani hospitals, and allocation of Rs3 billion funds to the National Disaster Management Authority.
Furthermore, the cabinet also gave approval over an important matter ahead of the prime minister’s visit to Uzbekistan related to Pakistan’s decision to sign an agreement with the member countries of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization in the agricultural sector.
The summary was approved by the federal cabinet through circulation and the agreement will be signed during the PM’s visit to Uzbekistan.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2022
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