Rs 5 billion approved for NDMA to fight Coronavirus

Islamabad: The Economic Coordination Committee of the Cabinet (ECC) Thursday approved technical supplementary grant of Rs 5 billion for National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) for fighting the spread of Coronavirus on emergency basis.
The meeting of the ECC was held here with Advisor to Prime Minister on Finance and Revenue Dr Abdul Hafeez Shaikh.

The meeting also approved other technical supplementary grants including Rs. 275 million in favor of Ministry of Housing and works for capital outlay on civil works, Rs 84.352 million equivalent to $ 532,152 to be provided to National Database Regulatory Authority (NADRA) for Emergency Recovery Project for Temporary Displaced Persons of erstwhile Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA).

The technical supplementary grant approved for NDMA would be utilized to gain logistic support and the provision of different types of personal protection equipments against the virus like respirators/face masks etc.

The ECC formed an inter-ministerial committee, to firm up proposals in a month’s time on incentive package for National Electric Vehicle policy, comprising Minister Planning and Development, Minister Science and technology, SA PM on Austerity and Institutional Reforms , Deputy Chairman Planning Commission, SA PM on Commerce (Chairman), SAPM on Petroleum, Secretaries Industry and Climate Change.

The ECC acknowledged the role and efforts made by Ministry of Climate Change on preparing Incentive proposals for National Electric Vehicle Policy.
The ECC also approved Quarterly adjustments of tariff of K-Electric limited for the period from July 2016 to March 2019. As a relief measure for the people of Karachi amidst Coronavirus outbreak and in Ramazan, the ECC directed to notify the tariff after 3 months in the meanwhile directed Finance and Power Division to facilitate K- electric by advance provision of subsidy amounting to Rs 26 billion.

The ECC was briefed that the revision of tariff would have an impact of Rs 1.09 to Rs 2.89 /Kwh for various categories of consumers.

On the summary moved by the Ministry of Energy Power Division on execution of LPG Air Mix supply projects by Sui Companies, ECC decided to continue the operation of two already installed and working plants at Awaran and Bella and approved the installation of another four plants at Gilgit, Drosh, Ayun and Chitral town where the equipment has already been procured for plant installation.

The work on other projects of the same nature was stalled as it required a huge amount of subsidy to both SSGPL and SNGPL. It was briefed to the ECC that SNGPL requires Rs 19.851 billion per annum for operation of 16 projects and SSGCL will require Rs 14.474 billion to operate 32 approved projects.

ECC decided that the Ministry of Energy should engage with the Government of Balochistan and decide upon more efficient projects which would give the maximum benefit to the population of Balochistan province within the same amount of allocation/subsidy.

The decision was taken in the context that the existing revenue shortfall of SNGPL was Rs 143 billion and for SSGCL Rs 72 billion as of end 2018-2019.

The ECC also decided to allocate 5.0 MMCFD gas from Saand-1 to M/S SSGCL. The price of gas shall be according to the petroleum policy.