For the first time, the federal government has opted to keep the proceedings of one of its primary economic decision-making forums, the Economic Coordination Committee of the Cabinet, confidential.
Typically, the Finance Division informs the public about the key decisions made during ECC meetings through a press release.
However, according to sources informed by Pakistanalerts, the current Finance Minister, Muhammad Aurangzeb, has instructed that there is no requirement to issue a press release following the ECC’s initial meeting. This practice persisted into the second ECC meeting, with the Ministry also refraining from making it public.
Sources revealed that during the ECC meeting held on April 4, 2024, approval was granted for several supplementary grants totaling Rs. 24 billion. These grants aimed to address liabilities and backlogs resulting from unrealistic annual allocations.
The approved grants included an additional Rs. 7 billion subsidy for residents of Gilgit-Baltistan, Rs. 4.1 billion to settle liabilities of SME Bank employees, and Rs. 5 billion for the supply of subsidized wheat flour and cooking oil.
Other allocations comprised Rs. 1.6 billion to clear outstanding dues of media houses, Rs. 3.8 billion for a foreign loan covering expenses of the Higher Education Commission, Rs. 1.7 billion for Passport Office employees abroad, Rs. 300 million for Pakistan Rangers’ uniform procurement, and Rs. 433 million for a new battalion for Pakistan Coast Guards. Additionally, the ECC approved Rs. 103 million for the Frontier Corps Balochistan to repair a VVIP helicopter.
Read Also:University of Gujrat BA BSC Result 2024
Recently, the government of Pakistan has made a commitment to the IMF that it will refrain from releasing any additional supplementary grants.
It is noteworthy that the Chairman of the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) has imposed a stringent ban on all FBR officers and officials, including Members, from engaging with any media persons (print and electronic) on any issue.