ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Friday formed seven cabinet committees, including the Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) and the Cabinet Committee on Energy (CCoE).
According to separate notifications issued by the cabinet division, the prime minister will now chair meetings of the ECC and the CCoE. Earlier, the finance minister used to head the ECC.
According to a notification, the ECC now comprises the prime minister and federal ministers for finance, economic affairs, commerce, power, petroleum and planning and development.
Under its Terms of Reference, the ECC will consider all urgent economic matters and coordination of economic policies initiated by various divisions of government, identify and propose measures for the gradual attainment of the status of a welfare state, maintain vigilance on the monetary and credit situation and make proposals for the regulation of credit to maximise production and exports and to prevent inflation.
It will also determine the future pattern of growth of agriculture and industries and review the country’s import policy periodically and its effect on production and investment.
The CCoE now comprises the prime minister and the ministers for economic affairs, finance, petroleum, planning and development and power.
Similarly, a committee has been formed to speed up the process of outsourcing the country’s major airports and privatising Pakistan International Airlines (PIA).
This committee will act under the chairmanship of the defence minister. Other members of the committee are ministers for privatisation/BOI, foreign affairs, planning and development, aviation and privatisation.
The committee will review outsourcing of the management of major airports of the country and will also monitor matters related to PIA’s privatisation.
Another body, the Cabinet Committee on State-Owned Enterprises (SOEs), will be headed by the finance minister. Other members include ministers for maritime affairs, economic affairs, science and technology and housing and works.
Similarly, the Cabinet Committee on Privatisation will be headed by the minister for foreign affairs to formulate policy for privatisation of SOEs. Other members of the committee are ministers for finance, commerce, power, industries and production, and privatisation.
The minister for law and justice will head the Cabinet Committee on Disposal of Legislative Cases (CCLC). Its other members will be ministers for information, overseas Pakistanis, commerce and economic affairs, industries and production.
Another cabinet committee on Chinese Investment Projects (CCCIP) will be headed by the minister for planning and development. Its other members will be ministers for foreign affairs, interior, finance, commerce, petroleum, power, railways and science and technology.
The CCCIP will oversee the progress of investment projects executed by Chinese companies, expeditiously resolve issues faced by Chinese investors, facilitate Chinese investment, reactivate slow-moving projects, and review measures for the security of Chinese workers in Pakistan.
