Meeting to focus on approval of substantial grants and additional funds across multiple sectors
ISLAMABAD:
The Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) has been called for an important meeting on the weekend ahead of the federal budget, where a wide range of financial and development-related proposals involving billions of rupees are expected to be reviewed, sources said on Thursday.
Officials said the meeting will focus on approving substantial grants and additional funding across multiple sectors, and that the decisions will likely shape key fiscal and development priorities ahead of the new budget announcement.
Among the major proposals on the agenda is a subsidy of over Rs 7 billion under the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) programme, which will be discussed in detail during the session. Sources indicated that Rs 528 million is also being considered for the Pakistan Land Ports Authority.
Approval of Rs 150 crore in additional funds for the National Counter Terrorism Authority (NACTA) is expected. Security-related financing will also feature prominently, with more than Rs 410 million proposed for payments linked to the Reko Diq project.
Additionally, Rs 690 million has been requested for security measures related to the Islamabad peace talks.
The agenda also includes transfer of development funds under the Karachi and Hyderabad package as well as deliberations on redistribution of special program funds to KP.
A proposal worth Rs 1,300 crore for the improvement of the Pakistan Mint, along with consideration of a syndicated financing mechanism for Pakistan State Oil (PSO), is also part of the agenda. Sources said an agreement related to an oil refinery upgrade project will also be reviewed during the session.
Additionally, supplementary grants and additional allocations are expected to be approved for various ministries, as the government moves to finalize key fiscal and development decisions ahead of the next budget announcement.
