On the request from the Ministry of Maritime Affairs for the recovery of outstanding wharfage of Rs 1.696 billion on import of the LNG by the PSO, the ECC directed that the outstanding amount would be paid in 10 equal installments without interest over a period of next 10 years.
However, in January 2023, a committee will review the circumstances and suggest any possibility for early repayment of the remaining sum. The decision was taken on the recommendations of the committee constituted under the chairmanship of Minister for Economic Affairs.
The ECC approved the technical supplementary grant of Rs 44.447 million for the Islamabad Capital Territory to execute the "National Program for Improvement of Watercourses Phase II in the ICT, productivity enhancement of wheat, Prime Minister's Initiative for Save the Calf, calf feedlot fattening in Pakistan, and development of backyard poultry in the ICT".
The Ministry of National Food Security and Research had surrendered the amount in favour of the ICT Administration. The Ministry of Overseas Pakistanis presented a report of Inter-Ministerial Task Force on Overseas Employment and Welfare of Overseas Pakistanis constituted by the ECC on February 19, 2019, under the chairmanship of the Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Overseas Pakistanis Zulfikar Bukhari to look into the issues of overseas employment for Pakistani manpower, and make recommendations in consultation with the relevant stakeholders.
The Special Assistant to the Prime Minister for Overseas Pakistanis, gave a presentation to the ECC on various issues, and the measures taken regarding identification of trades and skill sets in demand, in order to meet the requirements of international job market and development of a centralized TVET certification and verification system, and improving regulatory mechanism for curbing sub-standard certifications and helping provincial TEVTAs in developing their skill development capacities, developing mechanism for sharing data among the NAVTTC and BE&OE/OEC on employment opportunities and available skills and efficient provision of e-Passport, the NICOP, the POC to overseas Pakistanis and issues of overseas Pakistani schools, developing a National Emigration and Welfare Policy for overseas Pakistanis. Shaikh directed the committee to come back to the ECC a month after the budget, and brief on the overall progress made on the measures taken by the committee for the welfare of overseas Pakistanis.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2020