The ECC also resolved that Finance Division may be authorised to arrange fund for payment of projected net salaries of Rs 4,097 million to the PSM employees for the fiscal year 2019-20 to be disbursed on monthly basis. Sources said that the ministry in the summary stated that production of PSM has been at complete halt since June 2015 and it does not have adequate financial resources in hand to meet expenses incurred on the salaries of its employees. As per orders of the Supreme Court of Pakistan communicated vide AGPR's circular dated 10-05-2018, it becomes obligatory on all ministries/divisions and departments to ensure disbursement of monthly salary on the first day of each calendar month.
The ECC also approved a proposal for salary payment of Rs 128 million to the employees of Pakistan Machine Tool Factory for four months (February to May 2019).
The meeting directed Ministry of Industries and Production to hold a meeting with the Strategic Plans Division, Commerce Division, Sindh Building Control & Sindh Revenue Control to finalise a plan to hand over the PMTF to the SPD after clearance of all liabilities.
The ECC also approved a proposal of the Power Division for payment of electricity charges by the government of Sindh as Thar subsidy for 4,514 domestic consumers of Taluka Islamkot. On another summary of Power Division, the ECC approved the proposal for reflection in electricity bills of a subsidy given by the government of Sindh for 4,514 consumers of Taluka Islamkot in terms of payment of all charges of consumers using 100 or lesser units of electricity on actual charges as well as a flat subsidy of Rs 800 to be given to domestic consumers using more than 100 units.
The meeting decided that in case the government of Sindh fails to pay the subsidy in any future situation for a period of three months, the same amount be deducted at source by the federal government.
The ECC on a summary submitted by the Ministry of Energy, also approved a proposal for budgetary allocation on annual basis for payment to Asia Petroleum Limited (APL) through Pakistan State Oil under a technical supplementary grant from the current financial year and onwards against accumulating shortfall in guaranteed throughput due to reduced demand in refined furnace oil by HUBCO, and asked the Ministry of Energy to take quick remedial measures for offsetting the accumulating shortfall by engaging local refineries for using APL's network as reverse pipeline until the contractual obligation ending in 2027.
The ECC, on a summary submitted by the Ministry of Maritime Affairs, also approved a proposal regarding necessary amendments & exemptions in the Income Tax Ordinance, the Sales Tax Act and Customs Act for the Gwadar Port and Gwadar Free Zone and asked the Law Division to suggest a way forward for their implementation and bring it up in the next cabinet meeting in consultation with the Commerce Division, Planning Division, Maritime Division, Federal Board of Revenue and Board of Investment.
Ministry of National Food Security and Research briefed the ECC on wheat situation in the country and stated that prices of wheat are showing a marginal decline in recent days. Total wheat stock in the country at present, the meeting was told, was recorded at 7.516 million tonnes as on August 16, 2019 as opposed to 10.950 million tonnes in the corresponding period a year before. The ECC was further informed that around 0.369 million tonnes of wheat and 0.198 million tonnes of wheat flour were exported from July 1, 2018 to August 16, 2019.