ECC approves $70mln additional funds for Covid vaccines

ISLAMABAD: Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) of the cabinet on Wednesday approved additional $70 million funds for procuring coronavirus vaccines for June and allowed request for extension in G-20 debt relief.

The decisions were taken during a meeting presided over by Minister for Finance and Revenue Shaukat Tarin.

ECC expressed the government’s commitment to provide $1.1 billion for procurement of COVID-19 vaccine for achieving the vaccination target (minimum 45 million and maximum 65 million) till December 2021.

ECC in its meeting of May 31 had already approved $130 million (Rs20 billion) for procuring the vaccine for June. However, due to the increased target of vaccination, another $50 million was required in addition to the already approved amount for June.

ECC approved the additional funds of $70 million for achieving the vaccination target for the current month. Vaccine procurement is currently the responsibility of National Disaster Management Authority.

ECC allowed the amendments in three statutory regulator orders (SRO 235 (1), 236 (1) and 237(1)) issued by the revenue division in March 2020 to facilitate the ministry of national health services, regulation and coordination for the import of COVID 19 medical and diagnostic equipment.

ECC approved the request of economic affairs division to proceed with the formal request for availing the G-20 debt relief for the extended period, July- December 2021. ECC also permitted the signing of MoUs with bilateral creditors in terms of the prevailing rules and regulations.

ECC further approved the technical supplementary grants Rs2 billion for the ministry of federal education and professional training for meeting the financial requirements of the financially distressed universities.

Further Rs629 million and Rs378 million were approved for the ministry for discharging the liabilities of fee reimbursement scheme during the current financial year and meeting its other requirements.

The committee approved Rs1.1 billion, Rs42 billion and Rs338 million for the finance division for the payment of SAP maintenance fee and for purchases of SAP software licences, for ways and means advances availed by the provincial governments and to meet the various budgetary requirements of Department of Auditor General of Pakistan under different heads of accounts. Rs350 million was approved for the Controller General of Accounts for payments to the families of government employees, Rs74.1 million for meeting the marketing expenses of incentive scheme of home remittances. Rs505 million technical supplementary grant was approved for housing and works division for the repair and maintenance of different government buildings, Rs22 million for the ministry of human rights for meeting various employee related expenses, Rs37 million for the industries and production division for meeting various expenses of Small and Medium Enterprises Development Authority, Rs82.8 million for the revenue division for meeting its various obligatory expenditures, Rs105 million for the ministry of narcotics control for the clearance of loans and advances of the Shuhda and deceased officials of ANF and Rs12.2 million for the ministry of climate change to be given to the Environmental Protection Agency to meet its various expenses.