Coronavirus relief package: ECC approves deferring of fuel adjustment until June

ISLAMABAD: The Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) of the cabinet approved the deferment of monthly and quarterly fuel adjustments in consumers' electricity bills until the next three months (June 2020).

As part of the coronavirus relief package, the ECC approved a relief of Rs22 billion for consumers who have utilised less than 300 units of electricity.

The industrial consumers will get a relief of Rs13 billion in power tariffs.

According to the Ministry of Finance, the ECC approved four technical supplementary grants worth Rs13,811.212 million during the current fiscal year (2019-20).

The committee approved an amount of Rs160 million for the Federal Public Service Commission and Rs1700 million for the achievement of Sustainable Development Goal Program, the ministry said in a press statement.

In addition, the ECC also approved Rs11,483 million for Special Security Division(SSD) (South) Phase-I, whereas, an amount of Rs468.212 million was approved for Special Communication Organization (SCO).

The statement said the ECC had also given approval to the constitution of the Price Negotiation Committee for the Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India (TAPI) Gas Pipeline Project.

In March, the federal cabinet had approved a financial relief package worth an estimated Rs1.2 trillion to ward off the negative impact of the coronavirus on the country and the economy.

The package included a reduction in the prices of petrol, diesel and kerosene by Rs15 per litre, the approval of a Rs3,000 monthly stipend for daily wage earners, and a rescue package for exporters and industrialists.