Pakistan plans to import 100,000 tonnes of sugar

KARACHI: Pakistan plans to import 100,000 tonnes of sugar, as the Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) of the Cabinet, on a summary presented by the Industries and Production Division, approved a tender opened on June 25, 2021, for the import of the commodity.

The ECC meeting, chaired by Finance and Revenue Minister Shaukat Tarin on Monday, also constituted a committee, on the recommendation of the National Food and Research Division, for the Intervention Price for Cotton 2021/22 and directed it to submit a report within 15 days.

The ECC also allowed extension in general subsidies on five essential items through the Utility Stores Corporation (USC) from July 1 for 15 days and constituted a committee to work out a future course of action within the stipulated time.

On a summary by the Power Division about the payment of outstanding dues of net hydel profits – the meeting directed the power and finance divisions to come up with a possible solution/option for raising the required financing by the Water and Power Development Authority (Wapda) within two weeks.

The ECC, on a summary by Maritime Affairs Division, directed the petroleum and finance divisions and the Pakistan State Oil (PSO) to provide a timeframe for the payment of the outstanding dues to the Pakistan National Shipping Corporation.

The ECC approved technical supplementary grant of Rs10 million for the Aviation Division and a similar grant of Rs73.870 million in favour of NSSP, Lahore.

Similarly, the meeting approved a technical supplementary grant of Rs20.70 million for the Pakistan Academy for Rural Development, Peshawar and technical supplementary grant of Rs1 billion for the payment of disparity reduction allowance to the offices concerned.

The ECC also approved the technical supplementary grant of Rs16.706 million for Inter-Provincial Coordination Division for the payment to the Federal Land Commission and approved another technical supplementary grant of Rs1.012 billion for the Interior Division for Frontier Corps, Balochistan (South)

The meeting also approved the technical supplementary grant worth Rs1.6 billion for the Department of Immigration and Passports, Ministry of Interior and a technical supplementary grant of Rs456.641 million for the Federal Board of Revenue to payoff the pending liabilities of the project titled “Development of Integrated Transit Trade Management System”.

The ECC also approved a technical supplementary grant of Rs2 billion for the Foreign Affairs Division and a supplementary grant of Rs8 billion for the Textile Wing of the Commerce Division.

It also approved a technical supplementary grant of Rs5.80 billion for the utilisation of foreign aid of National Disaster and Risk Management Fund (NDRMF) projects, Ministry of Planning, Development and Reforms.