ISLAMABAD: The federal cabinet on Thursday decided to separate tax policy from revenue administration in line with the manifesto of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), and constituted a committee to work out legal and technical modalities to execute the decision.
The cabinet reiterated maintaining strict fiscal discipline in the country for the purpose of curtailing fiscal deficit and ensuring that the expenditures and revenue remain within the budgeted estimates.
The meeting while considering financial difficulties of Pakistan Broadcasting Corporation, especially the issues being faced by the employees in getting their salaries and pensions, decided to grant Rs400 million as technical supplementary grant in order to provide relief to the organization. The cabinet, however, stressed upon the need for chalking out a comprehensive plan to ensure strict financial discipline and enhancement of revenues for the purpose of financial sustainability of the organization. Prime Minister Imran Khan directed that no employee working in the government would be sacked from service.
The meeting discussed in detail the issue of availability of surplus sugar stock in the country and pending payments of the growers. It was decided to refer the matter to the Economic Coordination Committee 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 sugarcane farmers would be protected while resolving the issue of sugar mills.
The cabinet approved reconstitution of search committee for the appointment of vice chancellor of Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto Medical University Islamabad. The committee would be headed by Minister for Human Rights Shireen Mazari.
The cabinet approved appointment of Ayla Majid, Ghias-ud-Din Ahmed and Hamid Ali Khan as independent directors of the Central Power Purchasing Agency (Guarantee) Limited.
Appointment of Faisal Ahmed, Pharmacist Drug Testing Laboratory Quetta as Technical Member-I of the Drug Court Balochistan Quetta was approved by the cabinet.
The meeting approved release of Rs20 billion in financial year 2018-19 for the fencing and lighting project of Pak-Afghan border. The federal cabinet ratified the decisions of the Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) of the cabinet taken during its meeting on November 22.
The decisions included grant for disbursement of provident fund, gratuity and payroll due to the heirs of deceased employees of Pakistan Steel Mills, natural gas load management during winter 2018-19 and release of public sector’s surplus wheat to poultry association of Pakistan.
Published in Daily Times, November 30th 2018.
