ISLAMABAD, Mar 16 (APP):The federal cabinet was informed on Tuesday here that the heavily loss making state run institutions like Pakistan International Airlines and Pakistan Railways would undergo forensic audit by Accountant General of Pakistan and prominent private audit companies.
Prime Minister Imran Khan chaired the meeting of the federal cabinet which was briefed on the matter of forensic audit of state institutions suffering heavy losses.
The cabinet was told that in the first phase forensic audit of Pakistan Railways, Pakistan International Airlines, Sui Southern Gas Company Limited, Peshawar Electric Supply Company and Northern Power Generation Company would be undertaken and the process would be completed by June 30, 2021.
In the next phase, audit of Pakistan Post, Quetta Electric Supply Company, Hyderabad Electric Supply Company, Lahore Electric Supply Company and Sukkur Electric Supply Company would be conducted.
The cabinet approved the posting of Dr Raja Mazhar Hameed as Managing Director of National Book Foundation. The cabinet considered and approved few applications for the issuance of licence of prohibited and non prohibited arms licences.
On the request of the government of Gilgit, it also gave ex post facto approval for deployment of 17 platoons of Gilgit Baltistan Scouts in Gilgit Baltistan for one year for internal security.
It gave assent for giving additional charge of chairman Karachi Port Trust to Nadir Mumtaz for three more months.
The cabinet also agreed to issuance of notification of Homeo Dr Rao Ghulam Murtaza as President National Council for Homeopathy and Homeo Dr Saeedur Rehman Khattak as Vice Chairman.
It also gave its assent for giving additional charge of Chief Executive Officer of Sindh Infrastructure Development Board to Dr Syed Saifur Rehman.
The cabinet delayed for a week its agenda of the construction of multi storey building on the land of Railways in Nowshera.
The cabinet approved the amendments in guidelines for the use of welfare fund collected under the Petroleum Policy 2012.
According to the amendments, the committee which determined the priorities for the use of welfare fund will be chaired by the elected public representative of the area. A federal minister will select the chairman of the committee.
The welfare fund will be used for education, health, water supply, drainage, awareness on drugs, sports promotion, needs of special persons, construction of roads and scholarships for local students. If a project will be located in two constituencies, the accounts for the welfare fund will be opened in both constituencies to ensure that the money was utilized equitably in the areas.
The cabinet gave its consent to the issuance of smart cards for those Afghan refugees who were in Pakistan and had proof of registration. The card will be for two years and it will have additional information about the refugees including their social and economic profile, details of their movement in Pakistan and about their non registered family members.
The cabinet was informed about the pace of progress on the gas development projects initiated in the tenure of the present government.
It was told that in the current year 450000 new gas connections were already installed and the target was 600,000 new connections. Next year the target of installing 1.2 million gas connections will be achieved.
At present 27 percent of the population was getting the facility of piped gas and the government was making efforts to further expand the network so that more population could get the gas facility. The cabinet stressed that in order to control the circular debt in the gas sector and to meet the gas needs of the population, the weighted average cost of local and imported gas should be fixed. The cabinet directed that all the details of the completed and ongoing gas development projects should be put before it in the next meeting.
The cabinet ratified the decisions of the cabinet committee for institutional reforms taken in its meetings on February 11 and 18, 2021. It also ratified the decisions of the cabinet committee on economic coordination, taken during its meeting on March 10, 2021. It also approved waiver of taxes on the import of raw material used in the manufacturing of auto disabled syringes.
The cabinet sanctioned historic Ramazan package of Rs 7.8 billion for providing 19 essential items on reduced prices. The cabinet was told that due to the government efforts the sales of Utility Stores had increased from Rs 6 billion to Rs 9 billion and the stores will achieve a break even in the expenditure and revenue this year.
The cabinet discussed in detail the matter of change in the margin of oil marketing companies according to the rules and regulations. It gave go ahead for action against companies which were violating the law. It also ratified the decisions, of the cabinet committee on energy, taken in its meetings on March 4, 11 and 15, 2021. The cabinet accepted the resignation of Aon Abbas Bappi from the post of Managing Director Pakistan Bait ul Maal.
The cabinet while acknowledging the importance of “Koi Bhooka Na Soye” programme of prime minister Imran Khan, noticed that according to the feedback the project was providing substantial relief to the poor people. Special Assistant to Prime Minister on Social Protection Dr Sania Nishtar told that philanthropists in Pakistan and abroad had expressed interest in becoming part of the programme.
The cabinet was apprised about the plan to give targeted subsidy to poor people under the Ehsaas programme. The prime minister instructed that the programme should be finalized as soon as possible so that the subsidy could be given to the needy people as early as possible.