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Federal Cabinet approves ATTA
ISLAMABAD: The Federal Cabinet which met here Wednesday with Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani in the chair reviewed the second phase of rehabilitation of floods affectees, implementation of its decisions and approved the Afghan Transit Trade Agreement.
Briefing newsmen about the decisions of the federal cabinet Information Minister Qamar Zaman Kaira said that eighty five percent decisions of the cabinet have been implemented in the Narcotics Control Board, Board of Investment and in Commerce Division.
He said the Cabinet approved the decisions of the ECC meeting and gave ex-facto approval for a programme being launched by a French Development Agency, Asian Development Bank and Government of Pakistan.
Under this programme work would be initiated to meet energy crisis in the country with more efficiency. Under the programme three sectors will be addressed including manufacturing of thirty million energy saver bulbs at a cost of sixty five million dollars, the government generating electric machines rehabilitation and to replace the industries transformers and motors which are outdated.
The cabinet gave approval for an agreement with Egypt experts for technical, scholarships and Economic training would be exchanged between the two countries. The cabinet also gave approval for a loan assistance agreement with Korea.
Under this agreement Korea will provide 180 million dollars for the construction of infra structure and development health, education and renewable energy projects.
The Cabinet gave approval that the Pakistan Housing Authority will now be an autonomous body and would work more efficiently with private sectors to accommodate government officials and other people on priority.
The Cabinet also gave approval of the Pak-Afghan Transit Trade. The Prime Minister directed FBR and Trade Ministry to work to curtail the menace of smuggling. He directed that those items which are being smuggled their tariff should be curtailed with an aim that these would not remain viable for smuggling.
The Prime Minister also directed the Interior Ministry to close all the avenues of smuggling with an aim to promote local industries.The Information Minister said that flood water has receded 98 per cent from Khyber Pakhtoonkhawa, 90 per cent Punjab and 14 percent in Sindh provinces.
He said the reduction of flood water has eased the relief efforts and now all the organizations have easy access to the flood victims and flood hit areas.He said during the floods no major disease spread to an alarming level.
He said National Highways Authority, Provincial highways, Railways and other departments are engaged to make work able the highways and roads.
Mr. Kaira said that so for three hundred twenty seven thousand one hundred and sixty five Watan Cards have been distributed among flood victims. It involves six and a half Billion rupees.
Courtesy www.geo.tv