Ministries, divisions: ECC approves 14 summaries seeking TSGs worth Rs2.629trn
ISLAMABAD: The Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) of the Cabinet on Friday approved 14 summaries seeking technical supplementary grants (TSGs) worth around Rs2.629 trillion for various ministries and divisions to meet the cost of ongoing projects and initiatives during the current financial year 2024-25.
The ECC of the Cabinet that met under the chairmanship of Federal Minister for Finance and Revenue Muhammad Aurangzeb also approved natural gas pricing structure for fiscal year 2025-26 which also allowed price of gas for bulk consumers, power plants operating on natural gas and industry to be increased by an average value of around 10 percent.
The ECC reviewed and approved several TSGs to meet the cost of ongoing projects and initiatives from different ministries and divisions during the current financial year 2024-25.
Ministries & Divs: ECC clears TSG summaries
These include, Rs829.67 billion TSG and Rs1,774.20 billion TSG for Finance Division for repayment of domestic debt and for foreign loan repayments respectively, Rs15.839 billion TSG for the Ministry of Defence to cover the shortfall in admissible pay and allowances, in employees-related and non-employees related expenditures and clear the outstanding dues as part of the PM's Package for the martyrs of the recent Pak-India war, Rs63 million TSG for Finance Division to cover the shortfall under unavoidable and mandatory expenditures on account of rent for office and residential buildings of the Department of the Auditor General of Pakistan during the current fiscal year 2024-25.
The ECC also approved Rs100 million TSG for Ministry of Foreign Affairs to meet the expenditure under the Head of Account 'Other Delegation Abroad' during the current fiscal year 2024-25, Rs1.765 billion TSG for Ministry of Interior and Narcotics Control to meet the operational requirements as well as to clear the outstanding/pending liabilities of the Frontier Corps KP (North and South) and Frontier Corps Balochistan (North and South) during the current fiscal year 2024-25, Rs300 million TSG for Ministry of Interior and Narcotics Control to clear outstanding liabilities under various Heads of Account of the ICT Police during the current fiscal year 2024-25, Rs100 million TSG for Ministry of Interior and Narcotics Control to clear the outstanding liabilities of various vendors provided services and supplies during the law and order situation in the ICT region during the current fiscal year, Rs52.241 million TSG for Ministry of Interior and Narcotics Control to meet the cost of up-gradation/uplifting and availability of latest investigation equipment and friendly environment at ICT police stations during the current fiscal year and Rs100 million TSG for Ministry of Interior and Narcotics Control in respect of Frontier Corps KP (North) during the current fiscal year 2024-25.
The ECC also approved Rs5.5 billion TSG for Strategic Plans Divisions as rupee cover to Pakistan Space and Upper Atmosphere Research Commission (SUPARCO) during current fiscal year 2024-25, Rs117.97 million TSG for Petroleum Division to meet the cost of PSDP project titled, 'Expansion and Up-gradation of Pakistan Petroleum Corehouse' during the current fiscal year 2024-25, Rs254.57 million TSG for Finance Division for onward release to Government of Balochistan in terms of incentive package for PAS/PSP officers posted under it and Rs198 million TSG for Ministry of Interior and Narcotics Control for repair and maintenance of the Executive Building, Islamabad.
The ECC also took up a summary submitted by the Petroleum Division, seeking approval for a revised natural gas pricing structure for the fiscal year 2025–26, to take effect from July 1, 2025.
Under the OGRA Ordinance, the federal government is required to notify revised consumer gas prices within 40 days of OGRA's determination to ensure cost recovery and regulatory compliance. The submission also aligns with structural benchmarks agreed with the International Monetary Fund (IMF), including rationalisation of captive power tariffs and a shift from cross-subsidies to direct, targeted support for low-income consumers.
The ECC considered the proposed adjustments in energy sector tariffs and decided to maintain gas prices to protect household consumers with only fixed charges re-adjusted in domestic sector to recover the asset costs. It also allowed price of gas for bulk consumers, power plants operating on natural gas and industry to be increased by an average value of around 10 percent.
The ECC also considered a proposal brought on by the Ministry of National Food Security and Research (MNFSR) for import of sugar to stabilise the sugar prices. The ECC discussed the summary and approved the proposal of the Ministry for constitution of a 10-member steering committee led by Federal Minister for MNFSR and including Federal Minister for Commerce, SAPM to Ministry of Foreign Affairs, secretary Finance Division, chairman FBR and others to come back to the ECC with their recommendations on the matter.
The ECC also discussed a summary by the Finance Division regarding changes in the home remittances incentive schemes, and tasked the State Bank of Pakistan and the Finance Division to propose and present a proper plan by 31st July to ECC, ensuring impact analysis and a roadmap for a properly-managed transition.
The Cabinet body also considered a summary by the Finance Division for the launch of a risk coverage scheme for small farmers and under-served areas, and accorded in-principle approval to the proposal with instructions for further fine-tuning and incorporating in it additional safeguards before its planned launch on 14th August 2025.
The ECC was told that the scheme would likely bring 750,000 new agricultural borrowers into the formal financial system and generate an incremental credit portfolio of Rs300 billion during its disbursement tenure of three years from fiscal year 2026 to fiscal year 2028. The budgetary requirement for meeting risk coverage and operational cost of the banks is estimated to be Rs37.5 billion, spread over fiscal year 2027 to fiscal year 2031.
The meeting was attended by several key federal ministers, including Minister for Power Sardar Awais Ahmed Khan Leghari, Minister for Petroleum Ali Pervaiz Malik, Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Industries and Production Haroon Akhtar Khan, and senior officials from various ministries and divisions were also present.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
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