‘Ali Baba 40 thieves joined govt to rob country: Shahbaz

Talking to the media, the chief minister said that the Ali Baba 40 thieves are now planning to grab billions of rupees of EOBI, adding that accused of NICL, Punjab Bank, rental power and Hajj scandals were also active now. He stated that no corruption would be tolerated in the Punjab. He stated that PM Gilani and Raza Rabbani wanted to transfer ministries to the provinces but some non-democratic elements were creating hurdles.

He said that the federation owe Rs 70 billion to the provinces.

The CM also test-drove the vehicles to be provided under the yellow cab scheme. He selected green colour for the scheme cabs. Shahbaz also directed the representative of the company to improve the quality of the vehicles.

30,000 government employees to get jobless

The government is going to shut the National Education Commission (NEC) and National Commission for Human Development (NCHD), leaving 30,000 people jobless.

No funds have been allocated in the annual budget for 2011/2012 for the National Education Commission and National Commission for Human Development as both the departments are supposed to be devolved to the provinces under the 18th Amendment.

The closing of both departments will leave 30,000 people jobless, besides jeopardising the future of one million children, who are getting education in the institution controlled by the departments.

Pakistan People’s Party Member National Assembly and head of both departments Nafeesa Shah told Dunay News that due to the non-issuance of funds, the departments would become dysfunctional.

The workers of the National Education Commission and National Commission for Human Development said that they would strongly protest, if they were not accommodated in some other department.

5 more ministries to be transferred; preparations ordered

In the second phase of implementation of 18th amendment, 5 more ministries would be transferred to the provinces, News Trends reported on Wednesday.

Chairman of Implementation Commission Mian Raza Rabbani has said that no employee would be fired nor would be sent to the surplus pool. The session of the implementation commission was held in Islamabad that was presided over by the Chairman of commission Mian Raza Rabbani to finalize the transfer of 5 more ministries to the provinces. After the session Mian Raza Rabbani said that Cabinet division, establishment division and inter-provincial coordination departments have been directed to start preparations for the transfer of 5 more ministries. He also said that the fate of ministers of the transferred ministries would be decided by the Prime Minister whereas those ministers would be summoned ot the session of the commission who express reservations on the transfer.

5 federal ministries transfer to provinces approved

Implementation Commission has approved to transfer 5 federal ministries to the provinces, trendpk.Com reported on Tuesday.

The meeting of the commission held under rhe supervision of Mian Raza Rabbani in Islamabad. Establishment Division briefed the participants about the future of employees of the said ministries. It was told to the meeting that these employees would be appointed in different departments.

The ministries to be transferred include: Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development, Ministry for Youth Affairs, Ministry of Zakat & Ushr, Ministry of Population Welfare and Ministry of Special Affairs. It is pertinent to mention that around 3,918 employees are currently working with the said ministries.

HIV positive cases increase in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa

Staff Report

PESHAWAR: Health specialists expressing the concerns over the issue on Wednesday said that 16 HIV positive cases are being confirmed in Khbyer-Pakhtunkhwa by each month.

During a seminar held at the Government Frontier College for Women Peshawar, they said that according to the statistics, 620 AIDS positive cases were confirmed in 2010 in the provinces including the tribal areas. They said that the figure increases by each month.

Provincial Minister for Higher Education Qazi Asad also addressed the seminar. Trend Pk

SBP announces monetary policy for coming 2 months

State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) has announced the monetary policy for the coming two months, News Trends reported on Monday.
Inflation has been declared as the biggest problem of Pakistan whereas the basic interest rate has been increased from 13.5 percent to 14 percent.

The new monitory policy was announced during a meeting presided over by the president of State Bank Shahid Kardar in Lahore. According to the bank sources the interest rate has been increased in order to control inflation and to control the budget deficit due to increased number of loans taken by the government. The bank also decided that the provinces would not be given loans exceeding their revived limitations in future.

According to the monetary policy inflation since the month of January this year has been 12.5 percent greater than its rate during the same period last year. Serious concerns were also shown during the meeting over the increased number of loans taken by the government.

PM Gilani calls federal cabinet meeting on Nov 30

Staff Report

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani has convened the federal cabinet meeting on coming Tuesday (November 30) where the transfer of five ministries from the centre to the provinces would be approved, Trend Pk reported Thursday.

The chief ministers of four provinces, the chief secretaries and other high officials will attend the meeting.

About 3,918 employees would be affected with the transfers of five ministries from the centre to the provinces. Trend Pk

Finance Minister Sheikh upbeat as PDF begins

ISLAMABAD, News Trends: Minister for Finance and Economic Affairs Dr. Abdul Hafeez Sheikh said the government wanted to turn the calamity into an opportunity through reconstruction after the floods.

Minister for Finance and Economic Affairs Dr. Abdul Hafeez Sheikh and Punjab’s minister Zulfiqar Ali Khosa are jointly chairing the the two-day Pakistan Development Forum (PDF) meeting that began here today (Sunday) and is currently underway with an agenda of focusing and sharing with the participants and development partners the future development vision of Pakistan for the prosperity of its people.

Opening Pakistan Development Forum (PDF), Dr Sheikh welcomed the delegations from donor countries and organizations and representatives of other donor agencies for participating in the Forum.

Addressing Pakistan Development Forum (PDF), the Finance Minister described 18th Amendment and NFC Award as his government’s big achievements.

“We are holding the Forum in 2010, as the last PDF was held in 2007”, Dr. Abdul Hafeez said.

Punjab’s senior minister Sardar Zulfiqar Khosa said that recent flood had ravaged south Punjab, causing losses worth $3.20 billion. “No government is in a position to undertake reconstruction and rehabilitation work alone,” he said.

Khosa said Punjab needed 900 million dollars to establish model villages after floods; of them, 700 million dollars are needed for large model villages and $200 million for the smaller ones.

He further informed that the province is bettering taxing system of agricultural income, adding the property tax system improved. The Senior Minister of Punjab said his province has curtailed current expenditures by Rs3 billion.

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Governor Owais Ghani said his provinces needs Rs107 billions during the next 18 months for reconstruction, adding another Rs66 billion are required for social sector and Rs41 billion for infrastructure.

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ameer Haider Khan Hoti said his government doled out Rs18 billion from its funds for infrastructure, adding it is not flood alone but also terrorism that dealt a blow to province’s economy.

Additional Chief Secretary Fata Habibullah Khan told the short and medium-term development projects worth $2 billion would be commenced during next nine years.

Ishaq Dar of Pakistan Muslim League (PML-N), Punjab Finanace Minister Tanveer Ashraf Kaira and Minister of State for Finance and Revenue Hina Rabbani Khar are at the meeting.

The Chief Ministers of the provinces will also brief the Forum about flood-spawned losses and subsequent rehabilitation. The participating donors would be apprised of Pakistan’s need worth $5 billion for rehabilitation after the flood.

Delegations from 30 countries and 264 representatives from donor countries, five major lending and aid institutions are participating in the meeting. US, United Kingdom and Japan have made sure minister-level participation. The International Monetary Fund, World Bank, Asian Development Bank and the Islamic Development Bank are also at the meetings.

Earlier talking, the Finance Minister Sheikh said, “High level local and international participation including US Special envoy for Afghanistan and Pakistan Richard Holbrooke, Vice President of World Bank and ADB, UK Minister for International development and senior officials of the IMF are expected in the forum.”

Dr. Hafeez said further said that the main focus of the PDF is on the reforms agenda of Government in social, economic and government sectors, both in the short and medium term.

The PDF, he said is sometimes misunderstood as a pledging forum for donors.

However, he said it is actually an opportunity for the Government to chart out its future economic & social strategy and have a dialogue with the donors. The donors, as a result of this dialogue, often re-align their strategies to plan and deliver future economic assistance to Pakistan.

Special US representative for Pakistan and Afghanistan Richard Holbrooke, the British government’s Secretary for International Aid, Andrew Mitchell, World Bank and Asian Development Bank vice-presidents and IMF and UN representatives also will address the forum tomorrow.

Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi will preside over the tomorrow session.

GST Reforms Bill tabled in NA, Senate

Staff Report

ISLAMABAD: Despite stiff resistance from coalition partners and opposition parties, Federal Finance Minister Dr. Abdul Hafeez Sheikh presented GST Reforms Bill 2010, Finance Amended Bill and Flood Surcharge Bill in the National Assembly and Senate today (Friday).

Members of the PML-N, PML-Q and MQM staged protest against the bills.

Earlier, speaking at the floor of the National Assembly, Prime Minister Syed Raza Gilani said that chief ministers of all four provinces were taken onboard about the bills six months back.

“The bills have not presented over-night and that thorough consultations have been made about them,” he said. Trend Pk

Gilani convenes CCI meeting on Nov 8

Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani has convened the meeting of Council of Common Interests (CCI) on November 8, trendpk.Com reported Thursday.
The meeting would probably chalk out plans in connection with the session of Pakistan Development Forum (PDF) to be held on November 14 besides reconstruction and rehabilitation of flood-ravaged people.
International Community has been invited to the forum, which would focus on stability in a country being leading ally with US on war on terrorism whereby the countries would be asked to enhance economic and trade cooperation with Pakistan.
The other members of CCI, besides PM Gilani being its head, are chief ministers from four provinces and three federal ministers.

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