ISLAMABAD: The Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) of the Cabinet has granted approval of Rs2.5 billion re-appropriation from the Prime Minister’s Relief Package (PMRP) for the Ramazan relief package.
Sources said the Ministry of Industries and Production in a summary to the ECC has stated that Rs30 billion has been allocated for continuation of Prime Minister’s Relief Package for the current fiscal year (till June 2024).
In the summary, the ministry said the amount of subsidy is to be utilised to provide relief to poor segments of the society, mapped through Benazir Income Support Program (BISP) data. Five essential items have been provisioned for targeted population up to PMT 40 registered with BISP on subsidised rates, the ministry added. The ministry said that allocated fund for the PMRP 2023-24 included for; (i) Prime Minister’s Relief Package for fiscal year 2023-24 (10 months from 1st August 2023 to 30th June 2024 without month of Ramazan) and; (ii) Prime Minister’s Relief Package and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Sasta Atta initiative only for the month of July 2023 on the hybrid model. The ministry wanted that direction should be given to the Finance Division for the release of allocated fund for the fiscal year 2023-24 on a monthly basis.
PM Shehbaz visits utility stores to review Ramazan package
While giving background, the ministry told the meeting that the Utility Stores Corporation (USC) is providing five essential items on subsidised rates since January 2020, under PMRP.
On the prime minister’s special directives under “Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Sasta Atta” the USC is also providing Atta since 6th June 2022 through mobile distribution point in the province and for the fiscal year 2022-23.
The federal cabinet while ratifying the ECC’s decision had granted approval of both these initiatives to be continued till 30th June 2023 and an amount of Rs28,173.53 million was released by the Finance Division to the USC.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2024
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