02-03 NEWS 14 JUNE_Layout 1 6/14/2022 1:36 AM Page 2
Tuesday, 14 June, 2022 | LAHORE
NEWS
PArLIAMEnT CAPAbLE InSTITUTE TO LEAd TALKS wITH TTP, SAYS rAbbAnI IsLAMABAD
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AKISTAN People’s Party (PPP) Senator Mian Raza Rabbani on Monday stressed the need for making talks with the Tehreek-eTaliban Pakistan (TTP) as part of a national debate comprising parliament, experts, military commanders who fought against them and civil society.
“Two tribal jirgas sent for negotiations with the TTP cannot be a replacement for the collective wisdom of parliament,” he pointed out in a statement issued here on Monday. Rabbani emphasized that peace talks and subsequent agreement with the TTP will have far-reaching consequences on the constitutional boundaries of the federation within, on the creation of a parallel justice system, the rule of law and the constitution. The PPP senator declared that the
parliament has always risen beyond party lines from evolving terms of engagement with the US or operations against terrorists in Swat, Khyber and Waziristan. Rabbani was of the view that Pakistani people have the right to decide their future, adding that let a consensus decision be arrived at through a debate in which the parliament leads. A day earlier, PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari formed a three-member committee to liaise with political parties on
the recent developments related to talks with Afghan Taliban and the banned outfit TTP. The three-member committee comprises PPP’s senior leaders Sherry Rehman, Farhatullah Babar and Qamar Zaman Kaira, and will take other political parties on board over the matter. The development came after a series of meetings were held between representatives of Pakistan and the outlawed TTP in Kabul to broker a peace deal. The Afghan Taliban are acting as a mediator.
neither public nor IMf happy with budget: Asad Umar
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A tribal jirga, comprising elders, politicians and others from erstwhile tribal areas, also visited Afghanistan and met the TTP leaders. The flurry of meetings led to the banned outfit announcing an indefinite ceasefire.
OGrA’s enforcement team unearths three illegal oil agencies
sHAHzAD PARACHA
AHMAD AHMADANI
Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Central Secretary General Asad Umar expressed that the budget created a ‘Doomsday scenario’ as the finance minister himself admitted that the budget neither met the expectations of the people nor of the International Monetary Fund (IMF). In a statement issued from the Central Media Department (CMD) on Monday, Asad said that the imported government’s hurriedly presented budget caused widespread despondency in the country. He mocked that the government presented a wonderful budget, as people were angry, a bearish trend persisted in the stock market and rupee continued to lose its value further. Asad Umar said that the Federal Finance Minister Miftah Ismail accepted that the proposed budget failed to meet expectations of the people and the financial body. However, he raised a question that then who was happy with the budget except the candy making companies? On the other hand, PTI Central Secretary Information Farrukh Habib said that the ‘gang of corrupts’ was hell-bent to paralyze Pakistan economically and to make life of all and sundry a hell through flawed economic policies and wrong priorities. Reacting to Information Minister Maryam Aurangzeb’s press conference, Farrukh Habib said that the imported government was badly exposed during a short span of two months, as the gang of corrupts snatched all facilities from the people. He said that the imported government created a cost-of-living crisis in the country, as prices of daily used items skyrocketed, a flour bag was selling at Rs1300 in the market but the imported ministers were trying to mislead the people by presenting a rosy picture.
The Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (OGRA) Enforcement (North) team has discovered three illegal oil agencies and asked the Chief Secretary Punjab to take appropriate action against the illegal oil business being carried out in different areas of southern Punjab. As per details, OGRA’s Enforcement (North) team has inspected around 40 petrol pumps in south Punjab to check the accuracy of the measurements of oil, and their quality and prices, and to ensure safety standards at different outlets. And, OGRA’s Enforcement team, during the inspection process, has found three illegal oil agencies against whom appropriate action has been recommended to the Chief Secretary Punjab.
Sindh govt unveils budget for fY 2022-23 today KARACHI Staff RepoRt
The Sindh government will present budget for fiscal year 2022-23 on Tuesday with an allocation of Rs459.68 billion for the development projects in the province. According to the budget documents, the province will start 1,652 new development projects while it will continue executing 2,506 ongoing projects. Last year, the provincial government had earmarked Rs329 billion for the development programme. The budget proposes to set aside Rs332.16 billion under the head of Annual Development Programme (ADP). For districts, Rs30 billion have been allocated. The budget documents also include Rs51.50 billion in the ADP from foreign funding, the province is expected to receive. The federal government will provide Rs6.2 billion to the province under the head of PSDP. The budget proposes to allocate Rs253 billion for the ongoing 2506 projects while suggesting to set aside Rs79 billion for new 1652 development programmes.
LAHORE: UNHCR Representative Ghazala Mirza, Hammad Latif, Kamal Zeb, CLI Syed Muntazir, CEO Mudassir Javed and a large number of police officers in a group photo after a workshop on rights of immigrants at Police Training College Chung. Staff photo
FCA of April: NEPRA jacks up power tariff by Rs3.99 per unit AHMAD AHMADANI The National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (NEPRA) has increased the power tariff by Rs3.99 per unit on account of fuel cost adjustment (FCA) for the month of April 2022 and issued a notification to this effect. According to NEPRA notification, this power price hike of Rs3.99 per unit shall be applicable to all the consumer categories except lifeline consumers of all the power distribution companies (DISCOs). The said adjustment shall be shown separately in the consumer’s bills on the basis of units billed to the consumers in the month of April 2022 by the DISCOs. The DISCOs shall reflect the fuel charges adjustment in respect of April 2022 in the billing month of June 2022, said NEPRA notification of power tariff hike on account of FCA for the month of April 2022. While effecting the Fuel Adjustment Charges, the concerned DISCOs shall keep in view and strictly comply with the orders of the court notwithstanding this order, the NEPRA notification added. According to sources in power sector, the Rs3.99 per unit increase in power tariff will put a burden of around Rs58.5 billion on consumers, including the General Sales Tax (GST) which is charged at 17%. Earlier, the Central Power Purchasing Agency (CPPA), on behalf of DISCOs, requested the NEPRA to jack up the power tariff by Rs4.5 per unit as FCA of April 2022 for the consumers of DISCOs. And, the Authority (NEPRA) conducted the hearing in the matter on May 31, 2022 and disagreed with the CPPA demand and approved a hike of Rs3.99 per unit. Actual Fuel Charge Component for April 2022 was recorded at Rs10.6010 per kilowatt hour (kWh) while corresponding reference fuel charge component was already fixed at Rs6.6087 per kWh. On the date fixed for hearing, representatives from CPPA-G, National Power Control Center (NPCC)/NTDC, Media and General Public were present. However, no representation was made from WAPDA Power Privatization Organization (WPPO), Sui Southern Gas Company Limited (SSGCL), Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited (SNGPL) and Ministry of Finance despite serving the hearing notice, said NEPRA decision.
During the hearing, the Authority also observed that energy from costlier RFO based power plants was generated to the tune of over Rs.44,094 million during the month of April 2022. The Authority has been directing NPCC/NTDC & CPPA repeatedly to provide complete justification in this regard, to the satisfaction of the Authority and submit complete details for deviation from Economic Merit Order (EMO), showing hourly generation along-with the financial impact for deviation from EMO, if any, and the reasons, thereof. As per additional note on decision of the Authority regarding Fuel Charges Adjustment of DlSCOs for the month of April, 2022, the data submitted by NPCC, the average RLNG allocated to power sector during the month of April, 2022 was 552 MMCFD against a demand of 690 MMCFD that resulted in indicative financial impact of Rs2,379 Million during the aforesaid month. During the FCA hearing of DlSCOs for the month of April, 2022, the reason for not utilizing the efficient RLNG power plants appears to be non-availability of RLNG. One reason for shortage of RLNG was lesser demand by NTDC/NPCC i.e. requisition of around 690 mmcfd against the actual demand of around 800 mmcfd (as apprised by the system operator to the Authority) another reason is less supply of RLNG by concerned quarters against the demanded quantity of RLNG. Efforts should have been made to improve the supply chain of RLNG to fully utilize the most efficient RLNG power plants and avoid the part load adjustment charges. As the RLNG is imported fuel and its availability can be ensured through better supply chain management, accordingly, such mis-management into the availability of required RLNG can’t be passed on to the consumers, said the additional note on decision of the Authority regarding Fuel Charges Adjustment of DlSCOs for the month of April, 2022. It is pertinent to mention that NEPRA’s decision of hike in power tariff will place an additional burden of billions of rupees on the power consumers while this price hike will not apply to K-electric and lifeline users who use upto 100 units a month and fall under protected category of the power consumers of all 10 DISCOs. However, this hike in power tariff will add additional burden to the already burdened masses/power consumers.
Russian envoy backs Imran Khan’s claim on Moscow visit News DesK Russian Ambassador to Pakistan Danila Ganich has said that former prime minister Imran Khan’s visit to Moscow earlier this year could be one of the reasons behind his ouster from the power. He made these remarks while responding to a question related to the exPM’s allegations that a “foreign conspiracy” was hatched against his government after his visit to Russia. In an interview with a local TV channel, the envoy said it was a “sheer
coincidence” that the former premier visited Moscow on the day Russia launched the invasion of Ukraine on February 24. “I think that was one of the factors but I also know that it was a sheer coincidence that he happened to be in Moscow on that very day.” The ambassador said had former PM Imran known about the Ukraine invasion, “definitely he would have tried to refrain from being there”. When the programme host precisely asked the envoy about Imran’s ‘foreign
conspiracy’ claims, Ganich said: “As an ambassador of a foreign country I would prefer not to interfere in your internal affairs. I do know that there was the conclusion that there was no conspiracy. So here I would say period.” On the ousted PM’s claims that Russia offered his government oil and wheat at discounted rates, the ambassador said no memorandum of understanding (MoU) was signed between the two sides in this regard. “I can confirm that we did not conclude any MoU. But Imran Khan did
not say that we conclude any MoU but as for what kind of discounts could have been offered I cannot comment as this is indoor negotiation.” Earlier in April, the Russian foreign ministry had said the ongoing political developments “leaves no doubt” that the US intended to punish the “disobedient” PTI chief. In a statement, the Russian foreign office criticised the US for being involved in an alleged conspiracy to overthrow the then Pakistani premier, stating that the opposition was colluding with the Western superpower.
Punjab govt employees to get 30pc pay raise stAff RePoRt The Punjab cabinet on Tuesday approved up to 30 per cent increase in salaries of govt employees in the budget for the fiscal year 2022-23. The special cabinet meeting, headed by Punjab Chief Minister Hamza Shehbaz, approved the budget proposals for the next fiscal year 2022-23. The provincial cabinet has approved a 15 percent increase in salaries and pensions of government employees and a 15 percent special allowance. According to details, the employees will get 15 percent increase in basic pay and 15 per cent disparity allowance. However, the disparity allowance will be limited to selected departments of the provincial government. According to sources, no new tax will be imposed in the budget while existing special concessions and incentives will continue. Moreover, Rs683.5billion has been proposed for development schemes, Rs56 billion for education sector, Rs173 billion for the health sector and 11.95 billion will be given to the ‘Saaf Pani’ project. Punjab has allocated Rs6.2 billion for governance and IT, Rs500 million for labour and HR development, Rs6.3 billion for transport and Rs1.8 billion for emergency service (1122), according to official documents.
