ISLAMABAD: The federal cabinet on Thursday resolved that no government employee would be sacked from service.

A meeting of the cabinet, presided over by Prime Minister Imran Khan hours before a special ceremony to mark the completion of government’s 100 days in office, decided to separate tax policy from revenue administration in line with the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf’s manifesto.

To this effect, the cabinet constituted a committee to work out legal and technical modalities.

The cabinet tasked the committee with working out details with no deadline. The Federal Board of Revenue will remain within the ambit of the existing revenue division with its role to be confined to tax administration and collection. The committee will also find ways for creation of separate division, rules for postings and transfers, administration and reporting line to be posted in the policy division.

The cabinet reiterated maintaining strict discipline for curtailing fiscal deficit and ensuring that expenditures and revenue remain within the budgeted estimates.

Tax policy will be separated from revenue administration

The meeting approved Rs400 million as a technical supplementary grant to resolve the issue of delay in salaries and pensions of employees of the Pakistan Broadcasting Corporation (PBC).

The cabinet, however, directed the PBC to chalk out a comprehensive plan to ensure strict financial discipline and enhancement of revenues for sustainability of the corporation.

The cabinet approved release of Rs20 billion during the current financial year for the fencing and lighting project on the Pak-Afghan border.

The meeting discussed the issue of pending payments of the growers and availability of surplus sugar stock in the country and decided to refer it to the Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) of the cabinet for detailed deliberations and proposing a workable solution to address the issue on priority.

The prime minister reiterated during the meeting that the interests of the farmers would be protected while resolving the issue of sugar mills.

The mill owners have warned the government not to start cane crushing until their demands are met.

The cabinet approved reconstitution of a ‘search committee’ for appointment of the vice chancellor of Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto Medical University, Islamabad. The committee will be headed by Minister for Human Rights Shireen Mazari.

It approved appointment of Ayla Majid, Ghiasuddin Ahmed and Hamid Ali Khan as independent directors of the Central Power Purchasing Agency (Guarantee) Limited.

The cabinet also approved appointment of Faisal Ahmed, Pharmacist Drug Testing Laboratory, Quetta, as technical member-I of the Drug Court Balochistan, Quetta.

The meeting ratified the ECC decisions taken during its meeting on Nov 22. The decisions included grant for disbursement of provident fund, gratuity and payroll due to the heirs of deceased employees of the Pakistan Steel Mills, natural gas load management during winter and release of public sector’s surplus wheat to the Poultry Association of Pakistan.

Published in Dawn, November 30th, 2018