Day: December 19, 2021

Muslim nations resolved Sunday to work with the United Nations to try to unlock hundreds of millions of dollars in frozen Afghan assets in a bid to tackle a growinghumanitarian crisis. At a special meeting in Pakistan of the 57-member Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) delegates said they would work “to unlock the financial and banking channels to resume liquidity and flow of financial and humanitarian assistance”. The meeting was the biggest conference on Afghanistan since the US-backed government fell in August and the Taliban returned to power. Since then, billions of dollars in aid …

Read More

Hundreds of people braved sub-zero temperatures in Afghanistan’s capital to queue outside the passport office early Sunday, a day after the Taliban government announced it would resume issuing travel documents. Many began their wait the previous night and most stood patiently in single file – some desperate to leave the country for medical treatment, others to escape the Islamists’ renewed rule. Tense Taliban personnel periodically charged crowds that formed at the front of the queue and at a nearby roadblock. “We don’t want any suicide attack or explosion to happen,” said Taliban security ope…

Read More

The federal government has decided to increase the electricity tariffs under the new plan of subsidy reform.

Sources told ProPakistani that the Ministry of Energy (MoE) has proposed two new categories (protected or unprotected) in the reform plan for those consumers who will use electricity up to 200 units. Protected are those consumers whose consumption does not go beyond 200 units consistently for six months.

The electricity tariff for protected category consumers would be Rs. 3.95 up to 50 per unit, Rs. 7.74 for 1-100 per unit, and Rs. 10.06 for 101 to 200 units of electricity, and the government will directly give subsidies to this category of consumers (1 to 200 units) by allocating the amount in the annual budget.

The electricity tariff for unprotected category consumers would be Rs. 9.50 for 1-100 units, Rs. 10.36 for 101-200 units, and Rs. 12.62 for 201-300 units. In addition, the electricity tariff would be Rs. 17.19 for 401 to 500 units, Rs. 18.11 for 501 to 600, Rs. 18.75 for 601 to 700, and Rs. 22.22 for those who consume electricity more than 700 units.

Overall, the Ministry of Energy has proposed to enhance tariff from 0.08 to 0.95% for unprotected consumers using 1 to 700 units of electricity. Sources said that the Ministry of Energy has been working on three phases of subsidy reform.

The government has a plan to gradually reduce in total net subsidy for unprotected groups of residential consumers besides the removal of previous slab benefits (incremental block tariff). Sources said that ministry has also divided the agriculture consumers (Tubewells) slab into two categories based on simple criteria (plot size or motor capacity).

Meanwhile, Reforming subsidies to QESCO Tubewells by partially exchanging electricity subsidies to subsidize solarization and modernization of Tubewells and gradually decrease and eliminate subsidies as solarization progresses.

Sources said that government will integrate the CNIC data with NSER in order to provide electricity subsidy to the neediest based on their welfare score (not on consumption).

It is pertinent to note that the Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) on Thursday approved Power Sector Subsidies – Phase –II, which included removal of one slab benefit (Incremental block tariff) and incorporation of revised subsidy and inter-distribution companies tariff rationalization/cross-subsidies.

Source: Pro Pakistani

Crackdown against non-compliance of Coronavirus Standard Operating Procedures and unvaccinated people is continuing across the country.

According to details, teams are inspecting and sealing non-compliant shops in various parts of the country.

The teams of the health department vaccinated various people on the spot and also issued notices to unvaccinated people.

The corona vaccination drive and the implementation of the COVID-19 SOPs are underway in full swing across the Sindh province.

According to Radio Pakistan Karachi correspondent, the guidelines of National Command & Operation Centre (NCOC) and Health Department of Government of Sindh are being implemented.

Various awareness programs regarding the corona vaccine are also being organized.

In Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, actions against noncompliance of corona vaccination and violators of SOPs are underway across the province.

The officials of district administration along with health mobile teams visited transport terminals and Bus Stands of Various stations to check the Covid-19 certificates of passengers.

On this occasion several passengers were administered the second dose of Covid-19 vaccine.

Similar actions were also underway in Abbottabad, Upper Chitral, and other districts of the province.

Source: Radio Pakistan

Two persons were killed while four women injured when a motor vehicle collided with the trawler in Lakki Marwat on Sunday.

According to the Rescue 1122, the injured have been shifted to district headquarters hospital Lakki Marwat.

Source: Radio Pakistan