ISLAMABAD: Senate Thursday passed the government’s Public Private Partnership Authority (Amendment) Bill 2021 that seeks to establish Public Private Working Party (P3WP) to fast-track the approvals for governments’ projects.
The bill was passed by the National Assembly on February 1, this year.
The bill proposes certain amendments in Public Private Partnership Authority Act 2017 in a bid to remove certain shortcomings in this law.
Under the proposed amendments, administrative approval shall first be required from P3WP and Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC), to be followed by formal procurement of public private partnership projects through the Board of the Public Private Partnership Authority.
Meanwhile, Federal Minister for Aviation Ghulam Sarwar Khan informed the Senate Thursday that Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) suffered a loss of 7.9 billion rupees since the last one year after his statement on fake licences of the national airline’s pilots.
He responded, through a written reply, to a question posed by Irfan Siddiqui from Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N) during Question Hour at the Senate sitting presided over by Chairman Sadiq Sanjrani.
Flight operations to six European countries have been suspended, the reply said.
Approximate loss incurred due to closure of flight after statement of June 2020 regarding Pakistan Pilot’s fake licenses is Rs 7.9 billion during last six months, the minister said.
“Since operation to and from Europe including United Kingdom, Italy, Spain, Norway, Denmark and France is suspended from June 30, 2020, no exact figures can be calculated. However, considering the data of 2019, approximate loss is Rs 7.9 Billion during the last six months,” Sarwar said.
Licenses of 14 pilots had been suspended by Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority (PCAA), he added.
In the past, employment of five pilots was terminated on account of their licenses cancellation by PCAA, the minister said.
The PML-N senator had asked the minister to provide the number of countries wherein PIA flights were suspended after Sarwar’s statement of June 2020 regarding Pakistani Pilot’s fake licenses; the loss incurred to the national airline due to the closure of flights; the names of European countries wherein the flights of PIA are still under suspension; the loss occurring on daily basis; and the number of serving pilots whose licenses were found fake as a result of the investigations conducted so far.
In response to another question posed by Behramand Tangi from Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) regarding details of Naya Pakistan Housing Scheme, Cabinet Division in written reply stated that the banks received 19,393 loan applications worth Rs 60.04 billion up to May 20, 2021. Out of them, 6,596 applications worth Rs 80 billion have been approved, the reply said.
Seemee Ezdi from Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaf (PTI) asked Minister of State for Climate Change Zartaj Gul whether it was a fact that informal e-waste recycling activities were the major emitter of organic flame retardants (FRs) “but still these activities are continued in many areas of Karachi, if so; the laws prohibiting their activities and steps being taken by the ministry for countering the said environmental problem.”
Gul replied, “Yes, it is a fact that informal e-waste recycling activities are the major emitter of organic FRs. E-waste related health risks may result from direct contact with harmful materials such as lead, cadmium, chromium including brominated FRs like decabromodiphenylethane, hexabromocyclododecane from inhalation of toxic fumes, as well as from accumulation of chemicals in soil, water and food. The term e-waste is applied to consumer and business electronic equipment that is near or at the end of its useful life. E-waste is a popular and informal name for electronic products nearing the end of their useful life. Computers, televisions, refrigerators, air conditioners and fax machines etc. are common electronic products. Many of these products can be reused, refurbished or recycled. After the 18th Amendments, all provincial Environmental Protection Agencies (EPAs) including Sindh Environmental Protection Agency (SEPA) in Karachi is responsible to counter environmental problem on e-waste under their laws i.e. Sindh Environmental Protection Act 2014 regarding informal e-waste recycling activities. This ministry has also taken up the matter with Sindh EPA in this regard.”
Briefing the Senate on federal government’s projects under Ehsaas Programme, Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Social Protection and Poverty Alleviation Dr Sania Nishtar said Ehsaas Waseela-e-Taleem initiative under Ehsaas Programme had been digitalised and it had been expanded from 50 to 150 districts countrywide. Apart from this initiative, Ehsaas Kifaalat, Ehsaas Emergency Cash and Ehsaas Nashonuma were some key initiatives under Ehsaas Programme that aimed to uplift the socio-economic conditions of the downtrodden segments of the society, she said.
Nishtar said Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP) was established through an Act of Parliament. “We have not changed BISP’s name but pictures of personalities have been removed on court orders,” she said, adding that government’s special focus was to eradicate corruption from Ehsaas Programme including BISP.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2021
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