ISLAMABAD: The Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) of the Cabinet has approved funds of Rs 190.5 million for survey of coastal areas through Ministry of Defence, official sources told Business Recorder.

Ministry of Maritime Affairs stated that the Prime Minister constituted an Anti Smuggling Steering Committee (ASSC) under the convenership of Minister for Interior and Minister for Maritime Affairs as co-Convener on July 2, 2019.

The Prime Minister, in principle, approved the proposal that Pakistan Army would assist Ministry of Maritime Affairs in survey of coastal areas in the ASSC meeting dated October 17, 2019.

It was directed to work out the details in consultation with respective stakeholders and separate summary may be sent to the Prime Minister's office for cost of survey of the coastal areas. Ministry of Maritime Affair moved a summary for the Prime Minister's approval on April 22, 2020 through Defence Division, Ministry of Interior and Finance Division.

The Prime Minister approved the summary wherein Finance Division had recommended that Ministry of Maritime Affairs would place requisite funds at the disposal of Ministry of Defence from its own budgetary allocation.

Finance Division had allocated an amount of Rs 1.57 billion to the Ministry of Maritime Affairs for the FY 2020-21 - which does not include cost of 'hydrographic survey' amounting to Rs 190.47 million. The budgetary amount had been distributed amongst all budgetary units of the Ministry according to their approved budget ceiling. Accordingly, Finance Division was requested to allocate the requisite funds over and above the budget estimate 2020-21, as the Ministry of Maritime Affairs had no extra funds to finance the survey of the coastal areas and hydrographic survey as proposed. The Finance Division stated that the request for allocation of additional funds cannot be processed at this belated stage since the budgetary process for allocation of funds had already been completed and approved by the National Assembly.

Ministry of Maritime Affairs further noted that considering the strategic significance being accorded to the matter of survey of coastal areas as a vital component of the anti-smuggling directives, a summary for the Prime Minister with the request that Finance Division may be directed to release Rs. 190.47 million from its lump provision in favour of Maritime Affairs Division for its onward transmission to Ministry of Defence, was moved on September 18, 2020. The Prime Minister directed that the Ministry of Maritime Affairs submit a summary to the Economic Coordination Committee of the Cabinet for approval of Technical Supplementary Grant for the proposed Survey of Coastal Areas.

Ministry of Maritime Affairs requested the ECC to approve Rs 190.47 million as Technical Supplementary Grant for the survey of coastal areas and placing it at the disposal of Ministry of Defence.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2020