News
Thursday, August 11, 2011
Cabinet orders release of Rs 11bn to Pakistan Railways* Prime minister tells cabinet ending load shedding is number one priority of his government
Staff Report
ISLAMABAD: The federal cabinet, on Wednesday, granted tax exemption to OGDCL Exchange Bond (EB), and directed the Finance Ministry to immediately release Rs11 billion to Pakistan Railways (PR).
The federal cabinet that met with Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani in the chair took notice of rising prices of essential commodities during the holy month of Ramadan and directed provinces to make enforcement mechanism effective in order to control the surging prices of essential commodities.
The prime minister, on the occasion, also offered provinces every possible help from the federal government in this regard.
Gilani directed the cabinet members to ensure availability of essential food items to people at reasonable rates during Ramadan.
He directed the minister for industries to ensure adequate supply of essential food items to be distributed through utility stores.
Gilani listed end to load-shedding and energy shortage as number one priority of the government, saying that the government was taking every possible step to meet the shortfall at the earliest. The prime minister directed all the stakeholders to hold meetings on daily basis to resolve the issues pertaining to the energy sector.
Briefing media men after the meeting, Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Dr Firdaus Ashiq Awan said that the minister for industries informed the cabinet about the measures taken by utility stores corporation for the provision of essential items to people at cheaper rates.
The prime minister also directed that the network of utility stores be extended throughout Balochistan and FATA and asserted that no complaint of shortage or deficiency of any item should surface.
The Finance Secretary, Dr Waqar Masood, briefed the cabinet on consumer price index and the trend of prices of the essential commodities.
He also compared prices of essential commodities with other countries of the region.
The meeting also took notice of increase in prices of meat, and Gilani urged that steps should be taken to stop smuggling of livestock and meat to other countries to ensure their availability at affordable prices to the common man. He directed the Finance Ministry to put up the policy at the meeting of the Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) of the cabinet.
Firdaus said that the prime minister was hopeful that the bailout package worth Rs 11 billion extended to Pakistan Railways (PR) to overcome current problems would improve financial state of the organisation.
Gilani directed the minister for railways to run special Eid trains to facilitate masses.
The federal cabinet also approved proposed amendments in the Airport Security Force Act 1975, especially re-designation of its present rank structure in line with other Civil Armed Forces/Law Enforcement Agencies /intelligence like ANF, FIA, and Coast Guards.
The prime minister formed a committee, comprising minister of defence and minister of railways to deicide upon renaming the Peshawar International Airport.
The cabinet meeting also discussed and approved the proposed agreement on economic and technical cooperation between the government of Pakistan and China.
The government of China has signaled to provide to Pakistan a grant of RMB 70 million for the projects to be agreed by both the sides.
Courtesy www.dailytimes.com.pk