ISLAMABAD: Finance Minister Shaukat Tarin on Friday asked banks to advise on expanding soft loans program designed for youth to start businesses.In a meeting with presidents of National Bank, Habib.
ECC waives up to 10% import duties
Diverts Rs11.7b from Covid-related budget for constructing hospitals in Punjab
The ECC was informed that this year the cotton production is estimated at 7.7 million bales and the country needs to import up to six million bales. PHOTO: PID
ISLAMABAD:
The government on Wednesday approved to divert Rs11.7 billion from Covid-19 related budget for construction of hospitals in Punjab amid its inability to lay an infrastructure to cope with the growing patients of the respiratory disease.
The Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) of the cabinet allowed diverting Rs11.7 billion from Covid-19 budget for mother and child care hospitals. The ECC also waived up to 10% import duties to reduce the cost of cotton yarn import after the government could not develop a national consensus to allow cheaper imports from India.
|
By our correspondent
ISLAMABAD: The government is expected to complete the privatisation of Heavy Electrical Complex (HEC) by the mid of the current year as it has already shortlisted investors for issuance of request for statement of qualification, officials said on Thursday.
The officials told a weekly meeting on privatisation transactions that 12 expressions of interest had been shortlisted for HEC. The meeting was chaired by Minister for Privatisation Mohammedmian Soomro.
In November last, Cabinet Committee on Privatisation approved the transaction structure for the divestment of 96.6 per cent shares of HEC. This was the seventh transaction approved since the start of the privatisation plans adopted in October 2018.
Heavy Electrical Complex expected to be privatised by June
Business
February 19, 2021
ISLAMABAD: The government is expected to complete the privatisation of Heavy Electrical Complex (HEC) by the mid of the current year as it has already shortlisted investors for issuance of request for statement of qualification, officials said on Thursday.
The officials told a weekly meeting on privatisation transactions that 12 expressions of interest had been shortlisted for HEC. The meeting was chaired by Minister for Privatisation Mohammedmian Soomro.
In November last, Cabinet Committee on Privatisation approved the transaction structure for the divestment of 96.6 per cent shares of HEC. This was the seventh transaction approved since the start of the privatisation plans adopted in October 2018.
Privatisation faces further delay
Government expects minimum proceeds of Rs300 billion or around $1.5 billion from the sale of two power plants. PHOTO: REUTERS
ISLAMABAD:
The privatisation transaction worth over a billion dollars of two liquefied natural gas (LNG)-fired power plants has been delayed further as the government has not been able to resolve issues of income tax exemption and debt financing over the past two years.
Various government departments have been holding a series of meetings to resolve the issues raised by the financial advisers and prospective bidders for taking the transaction to the bidding stage. But progress remained painstakingly slow, said officials in the Ministry of Finance and Ministry of Privatisation.