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‘President wants NFC Award finalised
quickly’
KARACHI: President Asif Ali Zardari has directed that the National
Finance Commission (NFC) Award should be finalised at the earliest
so that the award could be given out, Sindh Information Minister
Shazia Marri told the media.
Marri said that the president
issued the directives while chairing a special meeting of the Sindh
Cabinet held at the Chief Minister’s House on Wednesday. Sindh
Governor Dr Ishratul Ibad Khan, Sindh Chief Minister Qaim Ali Shah
and Federal Information Minister Qamar Zaman Kaira, along with the
Sindh Cabinet ministers, advisers and special assistants attended
the meeting. Marri said that Shah drew the president’s attention
towards the issues of the NFC and the GST on services. “The
president expressed the desire that the NFC Award should come at the
earliest and for this purpose, the meetings on the issue be
expedited to reach a solution,” she said. She informed the media
that Adviser to the Prime Minister on Finance Shaukat Tareen was
also present at the meeting and shared his views with regards to
provincial finances, informing the attendees that in the Federal
Divisible Pool, Rs 128 billion were kept for Sindh, out of which, Rs
94 billion have been released. “He also spoke about state transfers
and said that out of about Rs 41 billion allocated, Rs 39 billion
had been released. These figures are for the current fiscal year
and, hopefully, would increase in the coming budget,” Marri stated.
She said that the finance adviser assured that the figures being
worked out now would surpass the current figures. “According to him,
Sindh’s share in PSDP is to get an enhancement because the focus of
the present government on PSDP is in relation to agriculture,
infrastructure and social sector, which includes health and
education, so as to meet the issue of poverty alleviation,” said
Marri, adding that the other issues that came under discussion were
related to agriculture and irrigation. She said that to focus on
these two, the president has directed the setting up of a task force
for upgrade of water courses, so that projects thereof could reach
the completion stage at the earliest. Marri said that the Jhirk City
plan also came up in the meeting, informing the media that the
president has said that Jhirk would be developed as a model city in
relation to infrastructure and roads. Marri said that compared to
the number of power plants being installed in the country, a higher
number are being installed in Sindh. The provincial minister pointed
out that the funds allocated for development this year amounted to
Rs 290 billion, out of which, around Rs 220 billion have been
released, while Rs 34 billion went to the income support fund.
Marri added that this amount comes to Rs 254 billion but the federal
government is making efforts to increase this in the development
budget, so that provincial share also goes up.
Adviser for Petroleum Dr Asim Hussain was also present in the
meeting and he informed the attendees that a $500 million project of
mass transit is being taken up with Chinese collaboration and
meetings in this regard are going to be held soon.
Marri said that the president has directed Hussain to hold a meeting
with the Provincial Cabinet and appraise it about projects
pertaining to their areas and share views with them. Issues relating
to oil and gas companies, including their social responsibilities,
also came under discussion. Marri said that regarding the NFC award,
the chief minister said that the award should be determined on the
basis of a multiple formula, which was also taken up with the prime
minister. She said that the finance adviser stated that a lot of
work on this has been done and a final shape would soon be given in
coming meetings, adding that if this issue gets resolved, the
provinces will be afforded a lot of financial relief. app
Daily Times: May
28, 2009 |
