The Economic Coordination Committee of the cabinet has approved a grant of Rs. 17 billion to finance the schemes of parliamentarians.

The meeting was chaired virtually by Finance Minister Ishaq Dar on Monday.

Sources said that the Cabinet division informed the ECC that the federal government is running a community-based Sustainable Development Goals Achievement Program (SAP) in line with the UN conventions to achieve the SDGs, addressing the urban/rural infrastructure and social development constraints across the country.

A steering committee on SAP had also been notified on June 13, 2022, with the approval of the federal cabinet.

It is pertinent to note that the government has allocated Rs. 70 billion under SDGs in budget 2022-23 and these funds will be released on the recommendations of the SAP steering committee to the concerned federal ministries/divisions and provincial governments for the execution of development schemes as per guidelines approved by the cabinet.

Sources said that the committee on October 12, 2022, discussed that there were a number of schemes of the deprived areas yet to be finalized under the SAP and there were requirements for additional allocation of funds.

The planning minister informed that the additional funds to the tune of Rs. 17 billion could be arranged by the committee and the steering committee directed the planning commission to surrender Rs. 1 billion for 2022-23 in favor of the cabinet division to finance schemes of areas deprived so far.

According to a handout issued by the finance ministry, the ECC approved a technical supplementary grant of Rs. 17 billion to finance schemes under the Sustainable Development Goals Achievement Program (SAP).

Source: Pro Pakistan