Govt okays Rs1.8 billion for overhaul of PM, president’s aircraft

The Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) of the Cabinet has approved a Technical Supplementary Grant (TSG) of Rs1.8 billion for the overhaul of engines on two VVIP aircraft used by the president and prime minister of Pakistan.

The decision was made during a meeting chaired by Federal Minister for Finance and Revenue Senator Muhammad Aurangzeb.

Despite the restrictions imposed by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) agreement, which limits the approval of supplementary grants, the ECC has authorized these Technical Supplementary Grants to facilitate reallocations within the budget without altering overall expenditure limits.

In addition to the aircraft maintenance funding, the ECC discussed and approved several other financial proposals:

Wheat Allocation: The committee addressed a proposal from the Ministry of National Food Security & Research to allocate domestic and imported wheat stocks managed by the Pakistan Agricultural Storage and Services Corporation (PASSCO) to regions facing wheat shortages for the Food Year 2024-25. The allocation will follow a ratio determined in February 2024, with all wheat to be quality-tested before distribution.

Civic Services Grant: A TSG of Rs252.711 million was approved for the Ministry of Interior, funded by a surrender from the Ministry of Housing and Works, to support the Capital Development Authority (CDA) in maintaining civic services for the Prime Minister’s Office and related facilities.

e-Passport Systems: The ECC granted Rs2.939 billion to the Director General Immigration & Passports for the purchase of two e-Passport Personalisation systems and six desktop personalisation machines to ensure efficient operations.

Flood Response Funding: The committee approved the transfer of Rs30 billion budgeted for the Flood Response Emergency Housing Project to the Finance Division, which will release funds to the Government of Sindh following authorization.

National Accountability Bureau (NAB) Funding: The ECC approved a TSG of Rs376 million for NAB to support expenditures related to its Recovery and Reward Rules.

Commerce Ministry Support: A proposal from the Ministry of Commerce for Rs226.720 million to support trade and investment missions in China was also approved.