Sets a committee to cut electricity use in government offices by 30pc,

Shehbaz directs pacing up implementation of Kisaan Package,

Islamabad_Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif chaired a meeting of the Federal Cabinet in Islamabad on Wednesday with a plethora of issues on the agenda,

The meeting was briefed on e-motorbikes. It also reviewed the overall political and economic situation of the country.

According to sources, a plan regarding implementation of measures for saving energy was presented in the meeting. The Cabinet also endorsed One-Stop Service Act.

The meeting also nodded to raise the price of one hardship category drug while decrease prices of 54 other medicines.

The sources said the cabinet meeting also endorsed the ECC decisions taken in its December 21 meeting including the decision regarding PM Sasta Atta Package for Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

The meeting also endorsed the Privatization Committee’s decisions.

Shehbaz directed to set up a committee to work on reducing electricity consumption in the government offices by 30 percent.

The committee will comprise the Federal Minister for Energy, Federal Minister for Planning, Minister of State for Petroleum and Natural Resources and relevant secretaries.

Ministry of Information and Broadcasting and the National Energy Efficiency and Conversation Authority (National Energy Efficiency and Conversation) have also prepared an awareness campaign about energy saving and austerity.

The federal cabinet discussed the ‘Proposed Energy Saving Plan’ presented by the Power Division. The meeting was briefed on the consultation conducted so far with the stakeholders regarding the energy saving plan.

In this regard, the prime minister said that the consultation process with all the stakeholders including the provincial governments, Azad Jammu and Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan governments should be completed as soon as possible to ensure the implementation of the ‘Proposed Energy Saving Plan’.

PM said development of agriculture sector is the guarantor of food security and directed accelerating the implementation of Kisaan Package to facilitate the farmers.

He expressed these views while chairing a review meeting on the historic Kisaan Package introduced by the government for the development of agricultural sector.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif stressed the need to ensure food security in Pakistan at all costs.

He directed paying special attention to the cultivation and production of wheat, cotton, canola and olives for food security in the country.

He emphasized ensuring supply of better seeds to increase the production of other food grains including pulses.

The meeting was informed about the implementation of Kisaan Package, youth loan scheme, interest waiver for small farmers and provision of interest free agricultural loans to small farmers in flood-affected areas through the State Bank notification to banks, for which Instructions have been issued.