Commission to probe Rs 24 trillion loans: chairman to be appointed next week: Awan

The government will appoint chairman of high-powered commission announced by Prime Minister Imran Khan on next week to probe as to how the governments of Pakistan People''s Party (PPP) and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) took Rs 24 trillion loans during the last ten years and brought the country on the verge of bankruptcy. Special Assistant to Prime Minister on Information and Broadcasting Firdous Ashiq Awan flanked by Federal Minister for National Food Security and Research Sahibzada Mehboob Sultan and President Pakistan Kissan Ittehad Khalid Khokhar said that an independent commission would be constituted under the Inquiry Commission Act, 2017.
"The government will appoint a credible and non-controversial person as chairman of the commission next week after Prime Minister''s return from Bishkek," she said. She said that the government is committed to holding those accountable, who looted national wealth. She said that the government is finalising terms of reference regarding the inquiry commission announced by the Prime Minister.
Answering a question, she said the main reason behind the disruption in Prime Minister''s speech was a ''technology mismatch'' which would not happen again. She said that the previous governments destroyed Pakistan Television (PTV) and never focused to improve it as per modern standards. "The present government is upgrading the PTV and would soon convert it into HD," she said, adding that the government is going to formulate a new advertising media policy after consulting the stakeholders.
The minister said that the attitude adopted by the Sharif family shows that it has not learnt any lessen. "Nawaz Sharif who became three times Prime Minister had remained busy in making properties for his children," she said.
About the steps taken for uplifting of agriculture sector in budget 2019-20, Minister for National Food Security and Research Sahibzada Muhammad Sultan said that Rs 12.5 billion has been allocated for various projects of his ministry compared to Rs 1.8 billion in the fiscal year 2018-19.
The minister said that the 13 government projects in five different sectors of agriculture of worth Rs 296 billion in financial year 2019-20 on cost sharing basis between the federal and provincial governments.
He said that for the first time after the devolution of agriculture, the share of 13 federal government projects of five key sectors of agriculture over next five years will be Rs 92.5 billion.
The minister said the five sectors include conservation and increase productivity of water, increase in yields of major crops including sugarcane, rice and cotton, livestock initiative for small and medium farmers, transformation of agriculture produce market and increase access to finance.
He said that Pakistan and China have signed five memoranda of understanding (MoUs) during the recent visit of Chinese Vice President Wang Qishan, of which two were related to agriculture. MoUs include Framework Agreement on Agricultural Cooperation and Requirements for Foot and Mouth Diseases (FMD) free zone, he said, adding these will play a significant role in improvement of agriculture and meat exports.
Sultan said that currently there is a global export of meat of 6 trillion but unfortunately Pakistan meat''s export share is only $200 million. "Currently, Pakistan is on step-II of FMD and the country will move to third step after establishment of FMD free zones under the MoU singed with China," he said, adding that the government of China will help Pakistan set up FMD free zone in four provinces which will definitely increase meat export.
The minister said that the government has also focused to increase cotton production in the country. He also said that he will talk to Minister of Water and Power to Umer Ayub Khan to decrease electricity tariff for agriculture from 6.85 to Rs 5.35 per unit.
President Pakistan Kissan Ittehad Khalid Khokhar said that the present government did not impose any kind of GST on the agriculture sector. He said he had underscored the need for abolishing GST on fertilizer and agriculture machinery and reducing electricity tariff for agriculture to Rs 4 per unit proposed by the special committee on agriculture.
He said the previous government destroyed agriculture research in the country. "The investment on agriculture research should be increased to 1 percent of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP), which is at the moment is 0.2 percent," he said, adding that the government should provide a level playing field to agriculture sector.