ISLAMABAD: The Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) of the Cabinet has cancelled the eighth international tender for importing wheat on the basis of higher prices.
The meeting of ECC was held under the chair of Federal Minister for Economic Affairs Omar Ayub Khan here on Monday.
As per the details, the Ministry of National Food Security & Research had presented two summaries related to the award of the seventh and eight International Wheat Tender 2021-22 (FY22) opened on October 25 and November 4, respectively.
The ECC, after due deliberation, recommended scrapping the seventh tender offered by the TCP and floating a fresh tender instead in addition to cancelling the proposal for the eighth tender for wheat import owing to higher prices.
The committee further directed the Ministry of National Food Security & Research to re-assess the need and requirement of Afghanistan for wheat.
Furthermore, the ECC approved the summary presented by the Ministry of National Health Services, Regulation & Coordination for exemption of duty and taxes exemption on the donations of Personal and Protective Equipment (PPE) and testing laboratory equipment by USAID funded programme – Promoting Quality of Medicine Plus (PQM+).
The ECC also recommended the summary tabled by the Ministry of Communication for special allocation of funds worth Rs6,000 million to initiate the process for the improvement and rehabilitation programme of Balkassar-Mianwali (N-130) and Mianwali-Muzaffargarh (N-135) roads.
The committee also recommended funds for payment of salaries to the employees of Heavy Electrical Complex (HEC) and mark up to Bank of Khyber (BOK) with directions to finalise the privatisation of HEC by mid-January, 2022.
The ECC recommended the summary presented by the Ministry of Commerce for elimination/reduction of tariffs on various items currently being imported from Afghanistan as a goodwill gesture.
Moreover, the committee also discussed the summary tabled by the Ministry of Energy for revision of OMCs and dealers margins on petroleum products- Motor Spirit (MS) and High Speed Diesel (HSD) with effect from the forthcoming revision in oil prices. The sub-committee suggested that a summary in this regard be tabled in the next meeting after soliciting comments and views from all the members of the committee.
