Agrees to set up its permanent secretariat
our correspondent
ISLAMABAD
The Council of Common Interests (CCI) has decided to hold a virtual meeting on Monday (April 12) to take final decision on the release of 2017 census results.
The meeting, chaired by Prime Minister Imran Khan and attended by four chief ministers and federal ministers, decided to establish a permanent secretariat of CCI as required under the Article 154 (3) of the Constitution.
“This is for the first time that a permanent secretariat of the CCI has been established to meet the long-overdue Constitutional requirement,” an official statement said.
The high-level huddle approved the National Electric Power Regulatory Authority’s (Nepra) annual report for 2019-20 and the State of Industry Report 2020. The CCI also okayed amendment to Petroleum (Exploration and Production) Policy 2012.
Implementation report of the previously taken decisions of the CCI was also presented before the meeting, the statement added.
On notifying Census-2017 results, it was decided to hold a virtual meeting on Monday to take a final decision on the issue.
As directed by the 43rd meeting of the CCI, the observations of the provinces were incorporated into the Nepra’s annual report 2018-19 and the State of Industry Report, 2019 and the reports presented before the meeting were approved.
“On the issue of import of liquefied natural gas (LNG) and implementation of Article 158 and 172(3) of the Constitution, it was decided to constitute a committee comprising of Minister for Planning, Minister for Energy and SAPM for Power and Petroleum to hold consultations with the provinces so as to evolve a consensus on the way forward in meeting the challenge of dwindling local gas reserves and increasing domestic gas requirements.”
It was decided during the meeting that the Higher Education Commission (HEC) will be the sole standard setting national organisation with regards to higher education in the country. “The HEC will strengthen its regional centres for better representation and coordination with the provinces,” it added.
In order to further improve ease of doing business and harmonisation of quality and standards across the country, it was decided that provinces will notify harmonised standards set by the Pakistan Standard & Quality Control Authority (PSQCA) by repealing their own standards. “It was also agreed that harmonisation of standards, standardised labelling and certification marks logo would remain the exclusive domain of the PSQCA.”
On the issue of distribution of Zakat funds to the provinces and federal areas in wake of the 25th Constitutional Amendment, the meeting, while agreeing on Zakat Distribution Fund Formula, decided that after the merger of Fata into Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, Zakat Funds for the area, as per the agreed formula, will be transferred to K-P province for distribution among the deserving people of the merged districts. TLTP
