The Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) of the Cabinet (ECC) approved the import of 200,000 tonnes of urea fertilizer on a Government-to-Government (G2G) basis.
In a separate move, the ECC has deferred the decision to increase the prices of 262 drugs for the second time, citing the absence of the Minister for Health and unclear recommendations.
The Ministry of Finance issued a press statement, providing details of the ECC’s decision. However, the statement did not address the integration of data among 145 departments at the federal and provincial levels. It remains unclear whether the ECC approved data integration, intended to broaden the tax base under existing law.
The ECC considered a summary submitted by the Ministry of Industries & Production, focusing on offers received for the import of 200,000 metric tonnes (KMT) of urea on a G2G/tender basis. It approved the import of the required urea fertilizer for the Rabi season in the G2G format.
Another summary from the Ministry of National Food Security & Research discussed “Cash Credit Limits for Punjab and Sindh for the Quarter July-September 2023.” The ECC decided to approve a cash credit limit of Rs540 billion for Punjab and Rs214 billion for Sindh.
Additionally, the ECC reviewed a summary from the Ministry of National Health Services, Regulation, and Coordination concerning the approval of an increase in Maximum Retail Prices (MRPs) for 262 drugs under the hardship category, as recommended by the Drug Pricing Committee (DPC).
However, the ECC observed a lack of clear recommendations and required analysis from the Ministry of National Health Services, and therefore, the summary was not approved.
