ISLAMABAD: The Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) of the cabinet has approved additional financing of Rs500 million for the Benazir Nashonuma Program to prevent stunting in children targeting three flood-affected districts – Jhal Magsi, Khuzdar and Lasbela of Balochistan.
The meeting presided over by Finance Minister Ishaq Dar was informed by the Ministry of Poverty Alleviation and Social Safety on Thursday that the Management Committee constituted under the Pakistan-Italian Debt for Development Swap Agreement (PIDSA) was convened on 13 January 2023 in the Ministry of Economic Affairs.
The meeting jointly chaired by the secretary EA and deputy head of the Italian Embassy approved financing of Rs500 million for the Benazir Nashonuma Program executed by the BISP to prevent stunting in children.
BISP Nashonuma Programme, Italy ink Rs500m agreement
The meeting was further informed that on 4th April 2023, formal agreement to this effect was signed between the PIDSA and Pakistan represented by the Ministry of Economic Affairs (MEA) and Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP), for Rs500 million.
As a consequence of the financing approval, the Ministry of EA has surrendered/deposited Rs500 million into the government treasury in favour of the BISP for the initiation of case for Technical Supplementary Grant (TSG).
The meeting was informed that the TSG will be utilised in the already functional conditional cash transfer initiative linked with health and nutrition. This intervention will provide for integrating nutrition-sensitive approaches within social protection platforms.
The project areas are 2022 flood-affected districts, Thal Magsi, Khuzdar and Lasbela) of Balochistan. The duration of the project is six months from April 2023 to September 2023.
The meeting also approved the Ministry of Energy (Petroleum Division)’s proposals with regard to the renewal of lease agreement of exploration fields after it was told by the ministry that Pakistan is facing challenges in meeting ever-growing energy needs due to expanding population, natural depletion of major oil and gas fields, increase in demand and dearth of new big discoveries.
The meeting was further told that increasing exploration and development activities is essential to overcome the challenge and subsequently the ECC approved; (i) extension in the renewal of Bhal Syedan Development and Production Lease (D&PL) covering an area of 16.41 sq kms located in District Attock, Punjab from 1st January 2022 till 10th April 2024 in favour of M/s OGDCL; (ii) declaration of commerciality (DOC), approval of Field Development Plan (FDP), and grant of Development and Production Lease (D&PL) over Fazil Discovery (Mubarik Block) for a period of five years from 8th June 2022, in favour of United Energy Pakistan (UEP) Beta GmbH;(iii) grant of five years’ renewal to Pariwali Development and Production Lease (D&PL) field covering an area of 121.95 sq kms located in district Attock, Punjab, to POL from 1st July 2022; (iv) grant of five years renewal over Minwal Development and Production Lease (D&PL), covering an area of 18.85 sq kms located in district Chakwal, Punjab, wef, 1st April 2023.
The ECC also approved Technical Supplementary Grants/Supplementary Grants of Rs284.5 million in favour of the Ministry of Interior for disbursement of the amount as financial assistance to the Shuhada and injured persons of terrorism incident that occurred in Peshawar on 31st January 2023, in which 84 persons embraced martyrdom and 233 persons were injured;Rs67 million in favour of Ministry of National Health Services, Regulations and Coordination as a rupee cover for US$ 0.400 million committed by the World Bank to utilise IDA loan under “Pandemic Response Effectiveness in Pakistan (PREP)” initiative for the financial year 2022-23;Rs61 million in favour of Ministry of Law and Justice for Federal Shariah Court to meet the shortfall being faced by FSC in current Financial Year 2022-23.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2023
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