The Economic Coordination Committee (ECC), in its meeting held under the chair of Adviser to Prime Minister on Finance and Revenue Dr Abdul Hafeez Shaikh, has approved a hike of Rs0.30 per unit in the power tariff.
The ECC on Wednesday also approved a proposal submitted by the Ministry of National Food Security and Research regarding the release of 150,000 tonnes of wheat to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and 100,000 tonnes of wheat to Sindh through the Pakistan Agricultural Storage and Services Corporation (PASSCO).
The committee further okayed a set of proposals submitted by the Ministry of Energy for the resolution of issues pertaining to 1,124MW Kohala Hydropower Project, including the minimum ecological water flow of 42 cumecs by maintaining the e-flow of 30 cumecs and releasing additional flow of 12 cumecs from the spillway, and construction of sewage treatment plants and water bodies, the cost of which would be included in the NEPRA tariff.
The ECC also discussed the issue regarding the Cabinet Committee on Energy’s “Approval of the Settlement of Liquidated Damages” as referred to it by the cabinet and constituted a committee comprising Economic Affairs Minister Hammad Azhar, Advisor to the Prime Minister on Institutional Reforms and Austerity Ishrat Hussain and Special Secretary Finance Omar Hamid Khan to examine the matter and submit its recommendations to ECC.
To another proposal by the Ministry of Energy, the ECC amended its decision of 28th August 2019 to allow proposed subsidy by the Sindh Government in favour of the destitute residents of Islamkot. The Sindh government would make budgetary provision/allocation for the amount of the proposed subsidy on an annual basis for the life of the proposed facility.
The ECC also approved a proposal to allow the Central Power Purchasing Agency to approach NEPRA for approval of an extension of tariff as agreed between Pakistan and Iran on 15th March 2019 for the supply of power to Makran Division from the Power Generation & Transmission Management Company (TAVANIR).
The ECC further gave a nod to a technical supplementary grant of Rs419.154 million to pay the court fee to foreign counsels in case of Dr Hilal Hussain At-Tuwairiqi and Al-Ittifaq Steel Products Company Limited vs the Islamic Republic of Pakistan.
