Pakistan’s ECC approves PKR 54 billion grants, allocates funds for ISPR upgrade

Pakistan’s Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) on Monday approved PKR 54 billion in technical supplementary grants (TSG), including PKR 1.7 billion for the Ministry of Defence to upgrade the technology of the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR).

The ECC meeting, chaired by Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb, considered summaries from various ministries requesting funding allocations.

Among the approved grants, PKR 1.259 billion was allocated to the Ministry of Finance to return unused funds to the Government of Sindh from a wheat seed cash reimbursement program. Additionally, PKR 5.6 billion was granted for the rupee cover of the Asian Development Bank-funded Women Inclusive Finance project.

The Ministry of Interior and Narcotics Control received PKR 231.9 million for civil armed forces, along with another PKR 64 million for staff transferred to the Capital Development Authority from the Pakistan Public Works Department.

Other allocations included PKR 50 million for the Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs to support democracy-focused initiatives, PKR 90 million for gas schemes in Punjab, and PKR 100 million to the Ministry of Poverty Alleviation for SOS Children’s Villages Pakistan.

Additionally, PKR 1.889 billion was granted to the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting to clear advertising liabilities, while PKR 2.15 billion was allocated for development projects in District Swabi.

The ECC also approved PKR 40.34 billion for the Economic Affairs Division for revised FY2024-25 budget estimates related to short-term foreign loan repayments.

Other key allocations included PKR 1.2 billion for the Ministry of Interior to arrange the 23rd meeting of the Council of Heads of State of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) in Islamabad, PKR 750 million for the Power Division, and PKR 14 million for expenditures related to Kashmir Affairs & Gilgit-Baltistan employees.

The ECC additionally reviewed a proposal from the Power Division, approving a tripartite power purchase agreement for the Karachi Nuclear Plant’s K-2 and K-3 units.

A decision on the Petroleum Division's Machike-Thallian-Tarrujabba White Oil Pipeline project was deferred for further financial and operational review.

The ECC also amended the import policy order for state-owned defense production entities and their subsidiaries, approved a Women Inclusive Finance Support Fund, and revised tobacco pricing policies.

The committee further approved the withdrawal of directives transferring the Hyderabad and Karachi development packages from the Sindh government to Pakistan Infrastructure Development Company Limited.
Lastly, the ECC endorsed a policy on granting honorariums to government employees.