Day: December 19, 2021

An anti-India protest rally on the sidelines of an extraordinary session of OIC Council of Foreign Ministers was held in Muzaffarabad on Sunday.

It was arranged by Pasban-e-Hurriyat Jammu and Kashmir.

Participants of the rally while holding placards and banners marched from Burhan Muzaffar Wani Shaheed chowk towards Gharipan chowk.

They chanted pro-freedom, pro-OIC and anti-India slogans.

The banners inscribed with slogans asking OIC to help in just the solution of the longstanding Kashmir issue.

Addressing the participants, Chairman Pasban-e-Hurriyat Uzair Ahmad Ghazali and other speakers appealed to the OIC to play a decisive role in preventing India from committing war crimes in IIOJ&K.

They strongly condemned the deteriorating human rights situation in IIOJ&K, the detention of thousands of Kashmiris, and Indian state terrorism in which innocent youth are being killed on daily basis.

Source: Radio Pakistan

For the fourth time, the Finance Ministry extended the date for encashment of Rs. 7,500, Rs. 15,000, Rs. 25,000 and Rs. 40,000 prize bonds up to March 31, 2022.

According to the Finance Ministry letter, the last date for encashment/conversion /redemption of Rs. 7,500, Rs. 15,000, Rs. 25,000 and Rs. 40,000 prize bonds are extended up to March 31, 2022.

The procedure for encashment/conversion/redemption of denomination National Prize Bonds issued vide above-referred Notification shall continue to be observed.

It is pertinent to note that the last date for encashment was due to expire on Dec 31, 2021. This is the fourth time that the government has given an extension in the deadline for the conversion of prize bonds.

Source: Pro Pakistani

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