ISLAMABAD: The government approved on Tuesday a supplementary grant of about Rs10 billion for its entities, besides a Rs2bn Ramazan relief package to provide essential kitchen items at cheaper rates during the holy month.

A meeting of the Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) of the cabinet presided over by Finance Minister Asad Umar also approved a grant to clear outstanding liabilities of the legal heirs of deceased employees of the Pakistan Steel Mills (PSM).

The subsidy on 19 kitchen items will be provided to the people through the Utility Stores network across the country. Of the Rs2bn subsidy, Rs1.9bn will be spent on eatable items and Rs100 million on their advertisement campaign.

The highest subsidy of Rs525m will go to around 35,000 tonnes of ghee to provide Rs15 per kg discount to consumers. The second highest subsidised item is wheat flour with a share of Rs280m on Rs4 per kg of about 70,000 tonnes.

Other commodities include 50,000 tonnes of sugar with Rs250m subsidy at a rate of Rs5 per kg and Rs245m discount on 24,500 tonnes of edible oil at a rate of Rs10 per kg. Similarly, a subsidy of Rs50m at a rate of Rs20 per kg will be spent on 2,500 tonnes of daal chana and Rs150m at a rate of Rs50 per kg on 3,000 tonnes of black tea.

Likewise, 4,634 tonnes of UHT milk will consume Rs69.51m at a rate of Rs15 per litre, while 4m tonnes of squash & syrups will get Rs40m at a rate of Rs10 per litre during the month of Ramazan.

ECC approves Rs2bn Ramazan relief package, payment of outstanding dues to heirs of Steel Mills’ deceased employees

The Utility Stores Corporation (USC) will provide about 2,000 tonnes of broken rice at a cost of Rs30m or Rs15 per kg and 700 tonnes of sella rice at a cost of Rs10.5m or Rs15 per kg. An amount of Rs37.5m will be spent on Rs15 per kg subsidy on basmati rice.

The USC will spend Rs22.5m on dates at a rate of Rs30 per kg, Rs50m on baisen at a rate of Rs20 per kg, Rs50m on white gram at a discount of Rs25 per kg. Daal moong (washed) will consume Rs15m subsidy at a rate of Rs15 per kg and daal masoor Rs5m at Rs10 per kg.

The ECC approved the supplementary grant of Rs16.976m for the textile division, Rs7.415bn for the finance division in favour of financial inclusion and infrastructure projects (FIIP) and technical supplementary grant of Rs562m and supplementary grant of Rs742.531m for the SAP software licence payment. It also approved another supplementary grant of Rs1bn for the Federal Board of Revenue to boost its revenue collection capacity.

The ECC allowed payment of outstanding dues to the legal heirs of deceased employees of the PSM on account of provident fund, gratuity and payroll to address their problems.

The water resources secretary and the Water and Power Development Authority chairman gave separate presentations on different water projects, including Mohmand, Diamer-Bhasha and Dasu dams.

The commerce secretary briefed the ECC on the country’s short-term export prospects. The committee ordered preparation of an export enhancement plan by March 31 for the next year.

Published in Dawn, March 13th, 2019