PESHSWAR: The 10th meeting of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa provincial cabinet, held at Civil Secretariat Peshawar was presided over by Chief Minister Sardar Ali Amin Gandapur.
The meeting of the provincial cabinet was attended by Ministers, Advisors, Special Assistants, Senior Member Board of Revenue, Additional Chief Secretaries and relevant administrative secretaries.
A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) regarding shared fiscal responsibilities for the financial year 2024-25, intended to be signed between the Federal Government and all Provincial Governments was presented in the cabinet meeting.
The cabinet has approved communicating the provincial government’s stance to the Federal Government, stating that the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Government will agree to the proposed budget surplus of Rs178 billion only if the Federal Government fulfils its commitment to resolving the province’s financial issues, as discussed with the Federal Finance Secretary. Additionally, the approval is contingent on the FBR completely achieving the revenue target set in the Budget Estimates 2024-25.
It is noteworthy that the MoU on shared fiscal responsibilities was initially presented in the Provincial Cabinet meeting held on June 27, 2024.
After due consideration, the cabinet nominated the Advisor to the Chief Minister on Finance to address the financial issues of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa with the Federal Government. As a result, a delegation from the Government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa met with the Secretary of the Finance Division on July 2, 2024.
While debating and deciding on the draft Gandhara Corridor Act 2024 proposed by the Federal Government, the provincial cabinet asserted that the Gandhara Corridor is a cultural heritage of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and therefore a provincial matter.
Consequently, the cabinet approved the decision to communicate its reservations to the Federal Government and advised against legislating on this provincial subject.
The provincial cabinet has approved the forwarding of two resolutions from the provincial assembly to the Federal Government. Resolution No. 02, presented by MPA Muhammad Yameen, calls for the immediate release of former Prime Minister Imran Khan and other political prisoners. Resolution No. 04, introduced by MPA Ahmad Kundi, addresses the issue of Palestine, urging the Federal Government to advocate for international awareness and action on the conflict in Palestine and to strive for convening an OIC meeting on this matter.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2024
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