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PR No. 214 Prime Minister Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani chaired a meeting of legal experts to discuss the legal matters pertaining to the latest detailed decision of the Supreme Court of Pakistan regarding NRO. Matters regarding implementation of the Supreme Court’s decision in a transparent manner were also deliberated upon. Attorney General of Pakistan, Mr. Anwar Mansoor Khan and Secretary Law and Justice Division attended the meeting.
PR No. 215
PR
No. 216 Prime Minister Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani has said the government is taking steps for providing basic necessities of life to the people at their doorstep. The Prime Minister was talking to a group of Federal Ministers and parliamentarians, who called on him at his Parliament House Chamber here this afternoon. The Prime Minster asked the parliamentarians to personally monitor progress of ongoing development schemes in their constituencies to ensure that public welfare projects are completed within the stipulated time. The parliamentarians included Minister for Information and Broadcasting, Mr. Qamar Zaman Kaira; Minister for Petroleum, Syed Naveed Qamar; Minister for Labour and Manpower, Syed Khursheed Shah; Parliamentary Secretary for Health, Ms. Mehreen Razzaq Bhutto; Senator Syed Javed Ali Shah and MNAs Mr. Nadeem Afzal Chan, Sahibzada Mahboob Sultan and Ms. Rubina Saadat Qaimkhani. **PMMO/Ahmad**
PR No. 217 The Privatisation Commission and National Bank of Pakistan have agreed to get into a partnership to revitalize and rejuvenate the Privatisation Program of the government. It was decided during a meeting between Senator Waqar Ahmed Khan Federal Minister for Privatisation and Syed Ali Raza President National Bank of Pakistan here today. The country’s largest banking network National Bank of Pakistan with its wide presence abroad will work closely with the Privatisation Commission to identify avenues of value addition for State Owned Entities (SoEs) on the privatisation list and to attract international investors and financial institutions. In order to proceed further in this regard, the arrangements will be formalized in the forthcoming meeting of PC officials with the NBP management. Senator Waqar Ahmed Khan Federal Minister for Privatisation reiterated that Pakistan has immense potential and the government was determined to exploit all opportunities of value addition prior to taking the entities to market. The Minister further said that the government was determined to stimulate business activity in Pakistan, thereby facilitating economic growth and capital market revival. **TP/Ahmad**
PR No. 218 Senator Nawabzada Haji Mir Lashkari Raeesani, President PPP, Balochistan called on Prime Minister, Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani here at his Parliament House Chamber here this afternoon. Talking to him the Prime Minister said the government has prioritized provision of enhanced resources and increased employment opportunities to Balochistan. Mr. Raeesani apprised the Prime Minister of various political matters relating to Balochistan. He also informed the Prime Minister that the people of Balochistan are grateful to the government for taking the Aghaz e Huqooq e Balochistan initiative as well as for NFC award for ensuring progress and prosperity for the people of the biggest province of the country. **PMCO/Ahmad**
PR No. 219 Prime Minister Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani called on President Asif Ali Zardari at Aiwan-e-Sadr today.
**FU/Ahmad**
PR No. 220 The Governor of Jakarta, Fauzi Bowo agreed to work actively for revitalization of the Jakarta-Islamabad Sister City Agreement signed in 1984 during discussion with Ambassador Sanaullah at Jakarta on Thursday. The document provides for active linkages between the two capitals in the fields of municipal administration, youth development, culture and other exchanges, says a press release received here from Jakarta. In response to a suggestion of a visit to Islamabad by the Ambassador, Governor Fauzi Bowo indicated his availability to travel to Pakistan. He offered to host the Mayor or Chief Executive of Islamabad in Jakarta to reinvigorate the dormant agreement. He added that both sides could learn from each others’ experience in the field of municipal governance. The Ambassador also raised with the Governor the issue of naming a specific area or a road after Muhammad Ali Jinnah since Pakistan had named quite a few roads and squares after President Soekarno. He also requested him to issue the necessary notification granting VAT Exemption to Pakistan diplomats. The Governor assured the Ambassador that necessary measures to this end would soon be initiated. In response to an invitation, Governor Fauzi Bowo agreed to co-inaugurate (alongwith the Indonesian Minister for Culture) the cultural exhibition being organized by the Embassy in March. It may be added that the exhibition is a fusion of Pakistani and Indonesian painting and is expected to help project the soft image of Pakistan in Indonesia. Governor Fauzi agreed that cultural events were the most effective tool to enhance people to people contact and fostering friendly relations. He also proposed that at some point in time, both sides should also consider holding a joint Pakistan-Indonesia Fabric exhibition. **SJ/Ahmad**
R No. 221 “All Provincial Population Welfare Departments (PWDs) must expedite action for early establishment of service delivery outlets including family welfare centres, Family Planning Counters and Reproductive Health Centres etc”, says Federal Minister for Population Welfare Ms. Firdous Ashiq Awan while chairing the Inter Provincial Review Meeting in the Ministry of Population Welfare, yesterday. She said that the partner organizations including public and private sectors have communicated their consent for establishment of service delivery outlets in their premises. She further added that the Population Welfare Departments have been repeatedly requested to involve Ministry of Population Welfare in the selection procedure of female social mobilizers. The Ministry appreciate that the NWFP has already complied. It was also revealed in the meeting that Ministry of Finance is requested to help Ministry of Population Welfare (MoPW) by facilitating release of balance amount of Rs. 101.000 million on one time basis in foreign exchange so that Ministry could procure the required contraceptive commodities to ensure uninterrupted supply and availability of contraceptives being pivotal contributor for improving adverse Population Indicators. The Minister has desired that provinces may start the performance appraisal of the officials of service delivery. The best performer would be conferred performance awards on quarterly basis by Federal Minister/ Secretary, MoPW. Based on the quarterly performance, the provinces would nominate the top performer in each category for the National Performance Award on World Population Day. A coordinating committee comprising of Director (FM), Director (TC) and Director (CS) has been constituted for liaison with the provinces. The committee would evaluate and re-conform the provincial nominations. **DO/Ahmad**
PR No. 222 A political meeting of the leaders of allied parties present in Islamabad was held in the Presidency today. The meeting presided over by President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Syed Yousaf Raza Gillani was attended by Mr. Asfandyar Wali Khan, President Awami National Party, Dr. Farooq Sattar, leader of the Parliamentary party Muttahida Quami Movement, and Mr. Munir Khan Aurakzai, parliamentary leader of FATA. The meeting was also attended by Syed Khursheed Ahmed Shah, Federal Minister for Labour and Manpower, Dr. Babar Awan, Minister for Law, Justice & Parliamentary Affairs and Spokesperson to the President former Senator Mr. Farhatullah Babar. Spokesperson to the President Mr. Farhatullah Babar said that the meeting discussed the current situation in the country in wake of latest legal and political developments. He said that the President’s visit to Punjab and proposed visit to other provinces also came under discussion. There was unanimity of views on the current situation in the country, the Spokesperson said. The meeting followed by lunch lasted for over two hours. **FW/Ahmad**
PR No. 223 Presently, there are 83 functional sugar mills in the country of which 45 are in Punjab, 31 in Sindh and 07 in NWFP. The total crushing capacity of the mills is about 600,000 tons per day. The capacity utilized by the mills is about 60 to 70% dependent upon the sugarcane production and sugarcane purchased by the mills. The sugar production during 2008-09 stood at 3.19 million tons and the sugar production in 2009-10 is expected to the around 3.1 million tons while the annual consumption 4.2 million tons, the gap therefore is met through previous year’s stocks if any as well as through imports. One Pakistani eats more than half a maund of sugar in one year i.e 25 kg. While in India the per capita consumption is 18 Kg annually. In order to prevent the future crises a comprehensive Sugar Policy has been approved by the Cabinet on 04-11-2009 which clearly gives the guidelines regarding short and long term policy measures, inter alia; protection of vulnerable groups through Benazir Income Support Program and USC intervention, market forces to decide sugar price, appropriate import timing of raw and white sugar, maintaining strategic reserves preventing smuggling of white sugar integration of domestic market with international market through necessary tariff protection, linking of sugarcane price with the sucrose content, declaration of cane purchase receipt as a negotiable instrument, research on high yield variety, production of sugar from sugar beet, weighbridges and sucrose testing facilities monitoring mechanism etc. The short term implementation of the sugar policy has begun. 0.5 million tons of white sugar is being imported by the public sector while another 0.75 million tons of white sugar is being imported by the private sector (free of sales tax and excise duty etc). Therefore against anticipated shortfall of 11 lac tons we are importing 12 and a half lac tons. This increased supply of sugar is expected to discourage hoarding and stabilize market price. In addition strategic reserves of 0.5 million tons of white sugar are being built. USC intervention is being fine tuned to ensure that the deserving (mustahiqeen) only avail of the low price concessionary sugar and the system is not abused by meting out exemplary punishments to those found misusing the USC sugar. In the long term price of sugarcane is being linked to sucrose content by introducing a premium price on high sucrose content cane varieties. Sugar beet production is likely to supplement sugarcane to the tune of 10 lac tons production in 2011-12. Some parties are introducing brown sugar which is not harmful to health like the chemical treated, bleached ‘white’ sugar; coloured cubes made from sugar beet, sugar powder from sugar beet for confectioners and beverages are also being introduced. Such interventions will add to sugar stocks by supplementing sugar from sugarcane with sugar produced from sugar beet, cheeko and sweet potato.
PR No. 224
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