PESHAWAR: The provincial cabinet on Friday approved several proposed laws, including the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Whistleblowers Protection and Vigilance Bill 2015.

Chief Minister Pervez Khattak chaired the cabinet meeting that approved the draft of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Board of Investment and Trade Bill 2015; Civil Servants (amended) Act 2015; and amendments to the Provincial Services Academy Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Act 2013.

Briefing mediapersons about the decisions taken in the meeting, Information Minister Mushtaq Ahmed Ghani said that the cabinet had also constituted a committee to remove lacunas from the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Ehtesab Act 2014. The committee would forward recommendations to be incorporated into the KPEA 2014. He said that the committee would be headed by Senior Minister Inayatullah Khan, while provincial ministers Shah Farman, Mohammad Atif Khan and Ali Amin Gandapur, and advocate general and secretary law would be its members.

Mr Ghani said that the cabinet also approved the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Agricultural Policy 2015, KP Health Foundation 2015 and amendment to the Local Government Act 2013.

About the whistleblowers law, he said that it was aimed at eradication of corruption, adding that the government would ensure protection to all those extending cooperation.

Information minister says the law is aimed at curbing corruption

The whistleblowers would be given commendation certificates and 30 per cent of the recovered money and fine, while their identity would be kept secret. He said that those disclosing the whistleblowers’ identity would be fined.

A three-member vigilance commission would be established to probe the relevant case and recommend action against those found guilty. All the government employees would have to extend cooperation to the commission and those failing to cooperate could be fined up to Rs50,000 and given jail term of two years. In case of false charges, the complainant would have to pay a Rs100,000 fine.

About the KP Board of Investment Act, he said that it was set up in 2012 under an executive order which had no rules of business so far. It will have 15-20 members with the chief minister as its chairman.

It will pave the way for attracting investment, help implement the Public-Private Partnership Act 2014 to boost local economy, help different departments in search of reasonable projects, prepare pre-feasibility reports and bring in investment and donors as well.

Mr Ghani said that the KP Civil Servants (amended) Act would help settle the issues pertaining to pension, arrears, postings and transfers being faced by the employees devolved in the aftermath of 18th amendment.

The cabinet also increased the amount required for the treatment of renal transplant from Rs50,000 to Rs1 million. The cabinet, he said, approved an amendment to the Journalists Welfare Fund and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Endowment Fund Act 2014 and the amount had been increased from Rs20,000 per patient to Rs100,000.

The minister said that following the 18th amendment and NFC Award, the provincial government needed a new agricultural policy and thus a proposed draft law in this regard was also approved.

The new policy, he said, would help ensure food security of the low-income group, overcome poverty and pave the way for increased role of women.

Mr Ghani said that the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Health Foundation was approved to help provide health facilities to people through public-private partnership. He said that a seven-member board of governors would run it.

The cabinet also approved some amendments to the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Medical Teaching Institution Reforms Act 2015 to help resolve the issues being faced by the civil servants regarding pension and other benefits.

Published in Dawn, August 1st, 2015

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