- ECC approves Rs50bn relief from captive power levy.
- Rs3bn approved for flood relief in Gilgit Baltistan.
- PTV gets Rs3.81bn for salaries, pensions, operations.
The Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) of the Cabinet has approved a major relief package for national grid electricity consumers, allowing Rs50 billion, collected through levies on captive power plants, to be passed back to the general public.
The ECC meeting, chaired by Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb, was held at the Finance Division on Tuesday, The News reported.
The committee considered a summary submitted by the Ministry of Kashmir Affairs and Gilgit Baltistan and States and Frontier Regions for the release of funds for flood relief in Gilgit Baltistan in line with the prime minister’s directives.
The committee approved the release of Rs3 billion for the timely provision of tents, medicines, food and other essential supplies for the affected families, as well as for reconstruction of the damaged infrastructure and early recovery measures to support the affected communities.
The ECC considered a summary from the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting on a Technical Supplementary Grant of Rs11 billion in favour of the Pakistan Television Corporation (PTVC) against Tariff Adjustment and Net Metering, and approved Rs3.813 billion, with the remaining to be released on a quarterly basis for payment of salaries, pensions and operational expenses of the state broadcaster.
Approving the request, the ECC underscored that it was imperative for PTV to reduce its reliance on budgetary support and chart a path toward self-sustainability.
The ECC did not consider the summary for granting approval for VSS for employees of Utility Stores Corporation (USC) and said that first the committee by the prime minister should consider the proposal and then the summary will be approved by the ECC.
The committee also deliberated on a summary from the Petroleum Division for the recovery of the petroleum levy defaulted on by M/s Cnergyico PK Limited (CPL) since 2019.
After a detailed discussion, the ECC approved the settlement framework prepared in line with the decisions of SIFC Apex/EC/IC for the recovery of the principal amount of petroleum levy duty audited to date, and authorised the Petroleum Division to sign the proposed deed of settlement with the CPL. The committee further directed that the entire outstanding amount of petroleum levy be recovered strictly in accordance with the terms of the settlement.
On a summary from the Power Division seeking relief for the power consumers on account of captive transmission levy, the ECC approved the mechanism proposed by the Division to pass the benefit of levy collected from captive power on to electricity grid consumers.
The committee also considered a summary seeking review of the tariff determination of the Machike-Thallian Tarrujabba White Oil Pipeline project being developed on a government-to-government basis with Azerbaijan, and approved the terms and conditions proposed by the Petroleum Division to enable the launch of this strategic project, which will further strengthen bilateral friendship, trade and investment ties between Pakistan and Azerbaijan.
