ISLAMABAD: The Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) of the Cabinet on Thursday approved a Technical Supplementary Grant (TSG) worth Rs540 million for Utility Stores Corporation (USC) that plans on expanding the scope of its relief activities, mainly provision of food, in areas affected by the floods.
As per the details, the Federal Minister for Finance and Revenue Miftah Ismail chaired the meeting here at the Finance Division. Among others, the meeting was attended by Federal Minister for Commerce Syed Naveed Qamar; Federal Minister for Power, Khurram Dastgir Khan; Federal Minister for Industries and Production, Makhdoom Syed Murtaza Mehmood; Federal Minister for Planning, Development and Special Initiatives, Ahsan Iqbal; MNA/ex-PM Shahid Khaqan Abbasi; Minister of State for Finance and Revenue Dr. Aisha Ghous Pasha; Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Government Effectiveness, Dr. Muhammad Jehanzeb Khan; MD USC, MD PASSCO, Federal Secretaries and senior officers.
According to the details, the Ministry of Industries and Production presented a summary for the release of funds for the USC so that it can provide essential commodities in flood affected areas. The meeting was apprised that the corporation, in collaboration with provincial governments, is actively participating in relief operations for the supply of essential food items in flood affected areas.
It was informed that the corporation plans to distribute 113,700 ration bags amounting to Rs540 million based on the preliminary need assessment.
Considering the emergency situation, the committee gave its nod to the release of funds for USC.
The meeting also deliberated over a summary tabled by the Ministry of National Food Security and Research regarding the allocation of PASSCO’s local and imported wheat stock among recipient agencies. It may be noted that the corporation serves as a strategic organisation to procure wheat from Punjab, Sindh and Balochistan to build strategic reserves and to supply wheat to recipient agencies in case of an emergency.
It allocates wheat from its stocks on a yearly basis out of its held stocks of 2.499 MMT, including 1.232 MMT carry forward stocks.
The ECC directed that wheat should be distributed at the ratio of 50 per cent local and 50 per cent imported among all recipients. However, USC will be provided 75 per cent local and 25 per cent imported wheat. All recipients including USC will pay the full cost of wheat and incidental charges to PASSCO.
Moreover, the ECC also approved Rs1.009 billion for the Ministry of National Health Services, Regulation and Coordination for further transfer to the government of Afghanistan through an approved mechanism for running salaries of the staff of three Pakistani hospitals in their country.
