The Economic Coordination Committee of the Cabinet on Tuesday approved the and approved base tariff for electric tubewells at Rs. 13 per kWh from Rs. 16.60 per kWh.
The meeting, chaired by Finance Minister Ishaq Dar, discussed a summary submitted by the Ministry of National Food Security & Research submitted on Kissan Package 2022 and approved base tariff for electric tubewells at Rs. 13 per kWh, providing relief to farmers of Rs. 3.60 per kWh effective from 1st November 2022 to compensate the damage caused by the floods and heavy rains.
On another summary of the ministry on fixation and notification of Minimum Indicative Prices of Tobacco Crop 2023. After detailed deliberation, the ECC approved minimum indicative prices for various types of tobacco for different areas for the 2023 tobacco crop.
The Power Division submitted a summary on the settlement of payables to Government Owned Power Plants at par with IPPS. The ECC approved a technical supplementary grant of Rs. 93.438 billion in three tranches of Rs. 31.146 billion each.
The Power Division also submitted a summary on the uniform tariff for K-electric. It was submitted that KE’s applicable uniform variable charge is required to be modified to maintain the uniform tariff across the country with category-wise increases including general supply tariff – residential, general supply tariff – commercial, industrial supply tariff, bulk supply tariff, agriculture tariff, and public lighting with a recovery period of four months. It was shared that such adjustment will be applicable on the consumption from Oct 2022 to Jan 2023 to be recovered from consumers in December 2022 to March 2023, respectively. The meeting after deliberation approved this proposal.
The Ministry of Commerce submitted a summary of Individual Tariff Rationalization proposals from different sectors for review of Regulatory Duties (RDs). The ECC after discussion approved the proposal to reduce RD on Disodium Carbonate (PCT – 2836.2000) from the current rate of 20 percent to 10 percent and imposed RD at the rate of 5 percent on filament Yarns (PCT 5402.3300, 5402.4600, 5402.4700, 5402.5200 and 5402.6200).
The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting submitted a summary for the allocation of the budget to launch a comprehensive media awareness campaign on government initiatives, programs, and projects. The ECC after a detailed discussion approved a supplementary grant of Rs. 2 billion for flood-related media campaigns.
The ECC also approved a technical supplementary grant amounting to Rs. 162.521 million in favor of the Ministry of Housing and Works in addition to approving Rs. 250 million for the execution of a development scheme titled Construction of Railway underpass, Gojra, District Toba Tek Singh and Rs. 144.210 million for the execution of development schemes in district Dera Ismail Khan.
Federal Minister for National Food Security Tariq Bashir Cheema, Federal Minister for Power Khurram Dastgir, Federal Minister for Industries and Production Syed Murtaza Mahmud, Federal Minister for Information Marriyum Aurangzeb, Federal Minister for Planning Ahsan Iqbal, former prime minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, SAPM on Finance Tariq Bajwa, SAPM on Revenue Tariq Pasha, Coordinator to PM on Commerce Rana Ihsan Afzal, Federal Secretaries, Chairman FBR and other senior officers attended the meeting.
