Caretaker Finance Minister Dr. Shamshad Akhtar chaired the meeting of the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) today.
The ECNEC considered and approved a project of the Ministry of National Health Services, Regulations and Coordination titled “Emergency Plan for Polio Eradication (3rd Revised)” at a cost of $1784.93 million including grant from GPEI partners of $1197.93 million, Islamic Development Bank loan of $552 million and AFD loan of $35 million.
The project will supply polio eradication vaccines all over Pakistan and will be executed by WHO and UNICEF. The ECNEC after discussion extended the duration of umbrella PC-1 of the project to three years with authorization to EAD to enter into loan agreements to finance the project on behalf of Govt. of Pakistan to achieve the objectives of eradication of Polio and make polio-free Pakistan.
The ECNEC requested the Planning Commission and Ministry of National Health Services, Regulations and Coordination to provide a project/programme evaluation of the Polio Eradication programme and integrated lessons learned in the implementation of Phase –III.
The ECNEC also directed that a committee co-chaired by the Secretary Finance and Secretary EAD to examine the re-lending arrangements with provinces for funding of projects of similar nature with clear recommendations to ensure proper implementation of the projects.
Sami Saeed, Minister for Planning, Development and Special Initiatives, Shahid Ashraf Tarar, Minister for Communications, Maritime Affairs and Railways, Muhammad Ali, Minister for Power and Petroleum, Ahmad Rasool Bangash Minister for Finance, Revenue, and Excise and Taxation KP, Muhammad Younas Dhaga Minister for Finance, Revenue Sindh Government, Amjad Rasheed, Minister for Finance and Revenue Balochistan, Federal Secretaries and other senior officers from Federal Ministries and Provincial departments participated in the meeting.
Source: ProPakistani