ISLAMABAD: The Council of Common Interests (CCI) is to meet on November 12, 2020 to discuss stormy issues including notification of controversial census results, import of Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG), Water Accord 1991, implementation of Kazi Committee Methodology (KCM) for calculation of Net Hydel Profit (NHP) and 'unauthorized' deductions by the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR).
To be presided over by Prime Minister Imran Khan, the meeting will be attended by provincial teams headed by the Chief Ministers of Punjab, Sindh, KP, Balochistan, Prime Minister AJK and caretaker Chief Minister, Gilgit Baltistan.
The Prime Minister will also preside over a pre-CCI meeting a day or two before formal meeting to firm up the position of federal government on provincial issues.
One of the key issues to be discussed will be notification of census results. Most of the political parties in Karachi including MQM (Pakistan) are not ready to accept the census results, saying that Karachi's population has massively been under-reported.
The National Electric Power Regulatory (Nepra) will present its annual performance report of 2018-19. Nepra has also started importing consultants and other staffers from Middle East. Recently, a legal advisor, health a safety expert and one operating in the private sector have been hired with backgrounds of Middle East. Another CSR Consultant has been hired in violation of criteria in the advertisement.
Nepra which is now focusing on CSR instead of regulatory matters and will present State of Industry Report 2019, in which the regulator has proposed 23 points formula to reduce electricity cost as high cost, inefficient distribution services and load-shedding policy on high loss feeders, is pushing consumers away from the Discos' network.
Another stormy issue which is expected to be discussed is implementation on Para 2 of the Water Accord 1991. The CCI had constituted a committee, with Attorney General for Pakistan, in the chair, to discuss issues in Para 2 of the Water Accord 1991 as Sindh has raised this issue, time and again. However, an insider told Business Recorder that the committee has not yet held any meeting on this issue.
The CCI will also discuss implementation of KZM for calculation of NHP in the light of a committee headed by Deputy Chairman Planning Commission, Jehanzeb Khan. This issue has already created controversy which led to removal of Secretary Power, Irfan Ali, who protested the manipulation of CCI's minutes.
Other issues which will be considered by the CCI are: (i) swap/substitute arrangement of one exploration block with another prospective block in the respective province; (ii) amendment in the Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (Ogra) Ordinance, 2002; (iii) handing over of control of lower portion of Chashma Right Bank Canal (CRNC)and supply of full share of water from the canal to Punjab; (iv) future role of functioning of National Commission for Human Development and Basic Education Community Schools to promote literacy in the country; (v) windfall levy on crude oil, condensate and natural gas under Petroleum Policy, 2012; (vi)matters pertaining to Higher Education in post-18th amendment scenario; (vii) funding of devolved vertical programs of health and population welfare; (viii) unauthorized deductions by federal government on FBR's claim on account of alleged outstanding withholding tax on vehicles and 5 per cent service charges deducted on account of collection of Withholding Tax (WHT) by the Government of Balochistan; (ice) unauthorized transfer of public money from Provincial Consolidated Fund (PCF) to Federal Consolidated Fund by the State Bank of Pakistan on the directions of FBR; (x)unconstitutional and unauthorized deduction by FBR from the Provincial Consolidated Fund (PCF) (Sindh Government); (xi) No Objection Certificate (NOC) - CJ Hydro(Private) Limited; (xii) import of LNG; (xiii) royalty on LPG by the E&P companies at the market value of LPG; (xiv) implementation of Article 158 and 172(3) of the Constitution of Pakistan and; (xv) harmonization of standards and enforcement mechanism between PSQCA and Provincial Food authorities.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2020