ISLAMABAD: A meeting of Council of Common Interests (CCI) with Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi in the chair on Friday decided to constitute a national task force on education standards in the country.
The task force will look into the issues related to curriculum, medium of instruction and make recommendations for bringing uniformity and improving quality of education across the country. The meeting discussed matters pertaining to higher education and other similar bodies after the passage of the 18th Constitutional Amendment.
Over the issue of im
port of liquefied natural gas (LNG), the meeting decided that the concerns of the provinces would be sent to the ministry and the issue would be discussed in the next meeting of the CCI.
On the issue of provision of gas to localities/villages falling within five km radius of gas production fields, it was decided that all expenditures involved would be borne by the distribution companies. In case of province of Balochistan, the provision of gas to the nearest tehsil headquarters or district headquarter, as the case may be, would be ensured.
The issue of
net hydel profits was also discussed at the meeting. The meeting was informed that the objections raised by two provinces had been amicably resolved during the meeting with the PM.
The Statistics Division gave a detailed presentation on the issue of third-party validation of the census results. It was decided that one percent random sampling of the census data would be enhanced to five percent and every effort would be made to complete the process within the shortest possible time.
Over the issue of ex
port of surplus sugar, the meeting decided to recommend to the ECC to allow ex
port of 1.5 MMT sugar during FY 2017-18. The existing subsidy level on the exports will continue.
The meeting also agreed to real-time monitoring of the electricity production, allocation to each DISCO and duration of load-shedding by the provinces. Similar mechanism will be made available for the gas sector as well.
On the issue of establishment of a Fiscal Coordination Com
mittee, the meeting decided that the existing com
mittee constituted under NFC would be further mandated to ensure better coordination of the senior officials of the finance divisions of the provinces and the federal government in matters relating to fiscal consolidation.
In order to resolve issues relating to EOBI and Workers Welfare Fund in post 18th Constitutional Amendment scenario, the CCI meeting decided to constitute a sub-com
mittee comprising the federal minister for overseas Pakistan and human resource development, the special assistant to the PM on law, the special assistant to the PM on reven
ue, the provincial labour ministers, the finance secretary, the provincial labour secretaries and the the Ministry of Overseas Pakis
tanis secretary.
Published in Daily Times, November 25th 2017.
