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Karachi, November 28, 2019 (PPI-OT): Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah presided over a preparatory meeting for the CCI meeting which has been called by the prime minister on December 11, 2019. The chief minister reviewed the agenda and directed department of inter-provincial coordination (IPC) department to make necessary preparations for the meeting by arranging all the relevant summaries so that he could present his government’s point of view in all the important issues, including 1991 water accord, energy policy, return of withholding tax the FBR deducted directly from provincial excise department account and such others matters.
The IRSA has issued NOC for installation of 25 MW hydropower project located along Chashma-Jhelum Link Canal in October 2019. The provincial government is of the view that the IRSA was not a competent forum to issue such an NOC, therefore, the matter should be taken up in CCI. The chief minister said that CJ link canal was not a perianal canal and even not a flood canal. He added that when it had no allocation of water in 1991 accord how a hydro power project could be installed there. The chief minister directed the irrigation department to prepare a case and present him within a week.
EOBI: By virtue of 18th Constitutional Amendment, the Sindh assembly had passed the Sindh Workers Welfare Fund Act, 2014 and the Sindh Employees Old-Age Benefit Act, 2014, therefore, the both workers welfare ordinances of 1976 and Old-Age Benefit Act, 1976 had been repealed to the extent of Sindh. The chief minister said that the federal government should hand over the administrative control of WWF and EOBI, including assets due share to Sindh. He directed Labour department to prepare the case accordingly.
Petroleum Policy 2012: The federal government has proposed an amendment to Petroleum (Exploration and Production) Policy 2012 under which 5 percent carried working interest concept had been incorporated. It means the provincial government will have to pay five percent expenditures of carried work even if the exploration is failed. The chief minister said that his government was against such a ‘carried working interest,’ and it would be a big drain to the provincial resources.
He urged the energy department to prepare a case accordingly. Food authorities and PSQCA: An issue between the Pakistan Standards and Quality Control Authority (PSQCA) and provincial food authorities has emerged over their role as quality controlling and regulatory authority.
The Sindh government feels that after the 18th Amendment, food articles being the provincial domain, is subject to be regulated, inspected, registered, licensed and enforced by the provincial food authorities in their respective province, the chief minister said and directed food authority to prepare the case and submit him for the meeting.
Funding for devolved program: Ministry of health on June 30, 2011 had devolved all its vertical programs were devolved to the province. The CCI in its meeting on April 28, 2011 had decided that federal government would provide funding only for the vertical programs till next NFC award. The chief minister said that around Rs13 billion, as liability or claim of Sindh government needed to be expeditiously disbursed by the federal government and directed health department to prepare a case for him.
Deduction by FBR: The excise and taxation department told the chief minister that the FBR on account of withholding tax has deducted over Rs8 billion at sources from provincial government account. The chief minister directed the Excise and Taxation department to prepare the case in details and mention the meetings they had been holding with FBR so that the amount could be reimbursed from CCI forum. The chief minister told his cabinet members and concerned secretary to submit their detailed cases in his secretariat and he would hold another meeting to firm up his recommendations for the CCI meeting.
For more information, contact:
Press Secretary,
Chief Minister House, Sindh
Tel: +92-21-99202019(Ext: 336)
Website: www.cmsindh.gov.pk