ISLAMABAD: The Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) of the cabinet has approved over Rs44 billion for various projects, including 1.8 billion rupees for import of oxygen gas to meet the emergency requirement in hospitals for treatment of COVID-19 patients.
The ECC meeting chaired by Finance Minister Shaukat Tarin approved the technical supplementary grant for the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) for procurement of oxygen gas and delivery mechanism to import of 6,000 MT oxygen.
The committee approved exemption from duties on oxygen import, oxygen gas cylinder and cryogenic tanks by oxygen concentrators, generators, manufacturing plants for a period of 180 days to cope with the increased requirement of oxygen during the third wave of COVID-19 in the country.
It approved Rs10 billion for re-imbursement of telegraphic transfer charges to the banks on home remittances to encourage overseas Pakistanis to remit money through formal banking channels.
The committee also approved Rs115 million for the upgradation of health care facilities at Cantonment General Hospital, Rawalpindi, Rs800 million for the payment of outstanding loan to the National Bank of Pakistan (Bahrain), and eight million rupees to clear the pending liabilities of ‘Implementation Tribunal for Newspaper Employees’.
It further approved Rs571.216 million for the construction of Islamabad High Court (IHC) Building, Rs350 million for a new building of the Supreme Court Branch Registry Karachi, and Rs198.017 million for running Isolation Hospital and Infections Treatment Center, Islamabad for treatment of COVID-19 patients.
The ECC accorded approval to Rs27.5 billion rupees for National Disaster Management Fund to complete NDMA’s component under Karachi Transformation Plan, Rs48.337 million for the Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs to meet operational expenses, and Rs17.739 million for the Geological Survey of Pakistan to repair important laboratory equipment.
The committee further approved Rs1.5 billion rupees for establishment and operation of Basic Education Community Schools, over Rs1.2 billion for the National Commission for Human Development (NCHD) to meet is various operating expenses, and Rs100 million for the Cabinet Secretariat for Pakistan Tourism Development Endowment Fund.
The ECC nodded payment of first instalment to 35 Independent Power Producers out of total 47, whereas payment to the remaining 12 IPPs has been withheld owing to NAB investigation.
