ISLAMABAD, Apr 27 (APP):The government Friday proposed several relief measures for developing agriculture sector in the country and announced uniform general sales tax on all fertilizers.
It has announced uniform General Sales Tax (GST) at the rate of 3 percent on all fertilizers, which would eliminate distortion in tax regime, further reduce fertilizer prices and promote use of balanced nutrient.
The government also proposed to reduce GST on agriculture machinery from current 7 percent to 5 percent, where as concessions in taxes and duties were being proposed for dairy livestock sectors.
In Budget 2018-19, the government has also proposed for setting up an agriculture research support fund with an initial allocation of Rs 5 billion, which would provide financial grants for research and development of modern plant and seed verities for achieving higher crop yield.
Besides, the government has also proposed establishing the agriculture technology fund fir indigenization of agriculture technology with an initial allocation of Rs 5 billion.
The government has also decided to revamp all the research organizations and was working on plane to restructuring and revamping of research organization and institutions to make them world class state of the art platform for research and development.

ISLAMABAD, Apr 27 (APP):The government has allocated a huge amount of Rs. 2959.447 million on for three cancer hospitals with
major funds of Rs. 1485.240 million reserved for Up-gradation of Atomic Energy Cancer Hospital-NORI
(AECH-NORI) to facilitate patients of twin cities and its nearby areas in the Public Sector Development
Programme (PSDP) 2018-19.
While Rs. 755.327 million and Rs. 718.880 million respectively have been allocated for two cancer hospitals
of Gilgit Institute of Nuclear Medicine, Oncology and Radiology (GINOR) and Gujarwala Institute of Nuclear
Medicine &Radiology (GINUM), Phase-II.
An official of PAEC commenting on the budgetary allocation for the cancer hospitals shared that it is remarkable
step of the incumbent government to allocate appropriate funds for facilitating patients of deadly disease.
He informed that latest equipment would be provided to the Atomic Energy Cancer Hospital (AECH) NORI
including PET Scan and Cyber Knife Technology through which the cancer tissues may be killed at the
spot with precision.
“The technology is being used in many advanced countries and now it would be introduced in the capital
with the funds allocated in the next fiscal budget”, he stated.
The technology of Cyber Knife is currently available at Jinnah Hospital Karachi but the patients of other
areas suffer due to lack of access and resources.
The Gilgit Institute of Nuclear Medicine, Oncology and Radiology (GINOR) started functioning this year
to facilitate people of the areas and its adjoining places, he said adding the funds reserved for the hospital
are imperative for introducing the required equipment and other facilities.
While Gujarwala Institute of Nuclear Medicine &Radiology (GINUM), Phase-II would also accelerate the
treatment pace for the patients of Central Punjab suffering from this disease.

ISLAMABAD, Apr 27 (APP):The government has earmarked Rs.200,769 million for various ongoing and new schemes hydel and water resources
projects under Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP) for next fiscal year 2018-19.
According to the budgetary documents, an amount of Rs.135,255.505 million has been earmarked for ongoing
14 hydel projects while Rs.2,387 million for five new schemes in the PSDP 2018-19.
For ongoing water sector projects, a sum of Rs.37,601.230 million has been allocated for 60 projects and Rs.25,525.265 million for new schemes.
For ongoing hydel schemes, an amount of Rs.76,200 million has been allocated for Dasu Hydro Power Project (Stage-1), Rs.13,898.505 million for Tarbela 4th Extension Project, Rs.32,516 million for Neelum Jhelum Hydropower project,
Rs.4,985 million for Mangla Power Station refurbishment and up-gradation, Rs.2,733 million for Golan Gol Hydropower
Project, Rs.1,079 million for Keyal Khawar Hydropower Project and Rs. 2,283 million for Tarbela 5th Extension Project
under upcoming PSDP for next fiscal year.
For new hydel schemes, a sum of Rs.2,000 million has been specified for Mohmand dam, Rs.252 million for
Dudhnial dam, Rs.75 million for Chitral Hydel Power Station and Rs.30 million each for Dargai Malakand and Kurram
Garhi Hydroelectric Power Station.
For water resources division projects, an amount Rs.6,500 million for Extension of Right Bank Outfall Drain,
Rs.2,000 million Nai Gaj dam, Rs.1,800 Naulong Storage dam, Rs.2500 million for Raising of Mangla dam project,
Rs.1,500 million for Remedial Measures to control water logging, Rs.1600 million for Balochistan Effluent Disposal
(RBOD-III), Rs.800 million for construction of Basool dam, Rs.1,000 million each construction of small dams (Sindh),
Darwat dam, Gruk dam, Kurram Tangi dam, lining of distrubutaries and minor (Sindh), lining of irrigation channels in
Punjab, Makhi Farash Link Canal, normal/emergent flood programme, remodeling of Warsak Canal system and
Toiwar/Batozai storage dam.
Similarly for new water resources sector projects, the government has allocated Rs.23,680.350 million for
Diamer Basha dam, Rs.300 million for construction of Panj Kara River Left and Right Bank canals, Rs.100 million
each for construction of feeding canal to Manchar Lake, construction of Khaisar Patti delay action dam, CRBC 1st
lift cum Gravity, lining of K.B Feeder Upper Canal, National Flood Protection Plan-IVm Rehabilitation and modernization
of Sukkur Barrage, Rs.200 million for small dams (Khuzdar) and Rs.196.128 million for Winder dam.

ISLAMABAD, Apr 27 (APP):The federal government has allocated Rs 19,534 million for completing the on going schemes at Gilgit-Baltistan during
financial year 2018-19 under Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP).
According to Budgetary documents, the block allocations for Gilgit-Baltistan would be Rs 17,000 million.
The allocations of on going schemes included, Rs 582 million has been allocated for completing 20 mw Hydro
Power Project Hanzel, Gilgit; Rs 200 million for 26mw Shagarthang Hydropower Project, Skardu; Rs 302 million
for 34.5 mw Harpo Hydro Power Project, Skardu; Rs 100 million for construction of 04 mw Hydropower Project,
Thack, Chilas; Rs 750 million construction of 16 mw Hydro Power Project, Nalter-III; Rs 200 million for establishment
of 50 bedded Cardiac Hospital Phase-I at Gilgit;Rs 100 million for establishment of Polytech Institute for Boys at Skardu
(Baltistan Region); Rs 300 million for upgradation of road from RCC bridge Konodas to Naltar Air force Base, via Normal.

ISLAMABAD, Apr 27 (APP):The government has allocated Rs. 175.437 million for ongoing and new schemes of Establishment Division for the
fiscal year 2018-19 in the Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP) issued here on Friday.
The budgetary allocation included Rs. 100 million for one new scheme including Rs.100 million for National
University of Public Policy and Administration (NUPPA).
While Rs. 75.437 million have been earmarked for two on-going schemes with Rs. 50.437 million for
Construction of First Floor of Academic Block at Civil Services Academy Walton Lahore, followed by
Rs. 25 million for Establishment of IT wing and online Training Facility at NSPP,Lahore.
All the projects have been funded by the indigenous resources of the government and not a single penny
has been taken as foreign grant, revealed the budgetary document.

ISLAMABAD, April 27 (APP):The government has allocated an amount of Rs370 million for various new schemes of Postal Services Division.
According to Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP) 2018-19, the government has allocated an amount of Rs200 million for rebranding/ renovation of 485 post offices all over the country.
The government also allocated an amount of Rs40 million for construction of International mail office at Gawadar, Rs50 million for construction of International standard mail facilitation centre at Golra More, Rawalpindi and Rs80 million for construction of International mail office at Karachi.

LAHORE, Apr 27 (APP):Present Assemblies have jurisdiction to approve country’s budget for next financial year.
President Lahore High Court Bar Association (LHCBA) Anwar ul Haq Pannu said this while talking to APP here Friday.
Pannu who is also former justice of Lahore High Court further said that there is no legal lacuna in it.”There is no constitutional or legal hurdle in approving budget for next year by present assemblies”,he said.
To a question, he said that general election should be held on
time and accountability should not be used as a tool to delay the elections. “The slogan of first accountability then elections had been used to delay elections since Zia ul Haq to Pervez Musharraf regimes which was a wrong precedent”, he said.
“Someone who holds other accountable should himself also go through the process of accountability first”, he said.
He said that every one should respect the courts and judiciary.The courts should also pay attention towards quick disposal of cases,he said.
He said that judicial reforms should be made a continuous process.
LHCBA President further said that the Supreme Court of Pakistan
has authority to view legislation made by the Parliament in accordance to with the constitutional limits,adding that this authority should be used with utmost care.