Islamabad (Web Desk): The Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) of Pakistan’s Cabinet on Wednesday approved the sale of 500,000 metric tons of PASSCO wheat through competitive bidding.
The decision is aimed at managing surplus wheat stocks, cutting down storage and carrying costs, and keeping domestic wheat prices stable, while also ensuring food security remains protected.
The meeting was chaired by Federal Minister for Finance and Revenue Senator Muhammad Aurangzeb and focused on several key economic, fiscal, and sectoral issues designed to strengthen macroeconomic stability, safeguard consumers, support social services, and meet the operational needs of major public sector entities.
According to a press release, Federal Minister for National Food Security and Research Rana Tanveer Hussain, Minister for Investment Qaiser Ahmed Sheikh, along with senior officials from relevant ministries, divisions, and regulatory bodies, also attended the session.
Alongside the wheat sale, the committee approved allocating 300,000 metric tons of PASSCO wheat to the Punjab Food and Consumer Protection Department. This measure is intended to maintain adequate supplies for flour mills, stabilize prices, and ensure consumers have uninterrupted access to wheat flour.
The ECC also approved the release of Rs10.98 billion as a Technical Supplementary Grant to clear outstanding liabilities of utility companies to the Pakistan Post Office Department (PPOD), addressing payables that had accumulated over many years.
In the health sector, Rs29.663 billion was approved for the Federal Directorate of Immunization under the Ministry of National Health Services, Regulations, and Coordination.
This funding will ensure a steady supply of vaccines and syringes under the Expanded Programme on Immunization, sustaining routine immunization coverage, preventing outbreaks of vaccine-preventable diseases, and meeting Pakistan’s international health commitments.
The committee also agreed to share the subsidy on imported urea between the federal and provincial governments on a 50:50 basis. A total of Rs23.42 billion has been approved, with Rs15 billion to be released by the Finance Division and the remaining amount to be arranged as fiscal space allows.
In the housing and development sector, the ECC sanctioned Rs1.9 billion for the Ministry of Housing and Works under the Sustainable Development Goals Achievement Programme.
The funds will be used to execute development projects in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa through the Pakistan Infrastructure Development Company Limited, aiming to speed up infrastructure development and improve service delivery.
Additionally, a grant of Rs150 million was approved for Cadet College Hasan Abdal under the Ministry of Federal Education and Professional Training, ensuring the institution can meet its operational and development needs without disruption.
The committee also approved the distribution of confiscated solar panels by the Federal Board of Revenue to the Government of Gilgit-Baltistan, along with the associated transport and distribution plan.
The initiative is designed to help address electricity shortages in the region, promote renewable energy use, and support public service facilities through sustainable power generation.