Federal Cabinet was Friday informed that Prime Minister''s office has taken lead in cutting down its expenditure by 31% during the current financial year resulting in savings of Rs. 303 million. Prime Minister Imran Khan Friday chaired meeting of the Federal Cabinet at Prime Minister''s Office. Savings have been made under various heads including pay and allowances, food expenses, motor vehicle fuel and cash rewards.
The Prime Minister while reiterating his call for a maximum possible cut in expenditure urged all the ministers to ensure that the Government''s austerity drive is implemented in letter and spirit. It is learnt that the Cabinet has not taken a decision on the summary moved by Health Ministry for approval of Sin tax/health tax on beverages and cigarettes. The federal cabinet has also approved a summary for the placement of Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly Shahbaz Sharif''s name on the Exit Control List.
It was decided that in future a panel of suitable officers for posting against the slot of Secretary of a ministry would be proposed by a high-level committee, to be headed by the Advisor to Prime Minister on Establishment and having Minister for Education Shafqat Mehmood, the concerned Minister-in-Charge, Secretary Establishment and Secretary to Prime Minister as its members. It was decided that normal tenure on the post would be of two years. Continuation of tenure will be subject to a review by the Minister in charge after initial six months. It was also decided that normal tenure of two years can be extended to three years on the basis of performance reviewed by the Prime Minister in consultation with the Minister-in-charge.
The Cabinet granted ex-post facto approval of an MoU on industrial cooperation between National Development and Reform Commission of China and Federal Board of Investment of Pakistan. The Cabinet ratified the decision taken by the Cabinet Committee on State-Owned Enterprises (CCoSOEs) in its Meeting held on 02-01-2019. The Cabinet granted expost-facto approval to appointments of Administrator and Deputy Administrators made in Abandoned Properties Organization. The Cabinet approved appointment of Azhar Hameed as Chairman, Employees Old Age Benefit Institution (EOBI).
The Cabinet approved Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between Yunnan Minzu University (YMU), China and National University of Modern Languages (NUML). The Cabinet approved a proposal to appoint M/S Horwath Hussain Chaudhry & Co to audit the accounts of NADRA for the Financial Year 2017-18. The Cabinet ratified Visa Abolition Agreement between Pakistan and Cyprus for Diplomatic and Official/Service Passport Holders.
The Cabinet approved appointment of Raja Amer Khan as Chairman, Implementation Tribunal for Newspaper Employees (ITNE). The Cabinet approved appointment of Justice Shahid Karim as Judge of the Special Court and Justice Tahira Safdar as President of the Special Court , constituted under Criminal Law Amendment (Special Court) Act, 1976 (Act XVII of 1976). The Cabinet also approved composition of Steering Committee for Sustainable Development Goals Achievement Programme (SAP).
The Cabinet approved Memorandum of Understanding between Government of Pakistan and China Overseas Ports Holdings Company Limited Under Clean Green Pakistan Movement(CGP-M). The Cabinet also approved revision of visa-fee regime for various countries under the visa liberalization regime. The Prime Minister during the meeting directed a nation-wide campaign be formulated to launch a crackdown against the sale of adulterated milk.