Finance ministry asks ECP to defer grant request for polls

• “Nation’s financial system is in dangerous form,” says Finance Ministry.
• Govt calls for ECP to defer grants in “wider nationwide curiosity”.
• ECP had demanded Rs20bn supplementary grant, Rs14bn further grant.

The Ministry of Finance Tuesday urged the Election Fee of Pakistan (ECP) to defer the demand for a supplementary grant of Rs20 billion and a further grant of Rs14 billion, citing the nation’s crucial financial situations. 

The finance ministry responded to the ECP’s demand for a supplementary grant of Rs20 billion for the by-polls on 93 seats of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Punjab and the Nationwide Meeting and a further grant of over Rs14 billion for the upcoming polls.

Within the reply, the Ministry of Finance stated that the nation’s financial system is in dangerous form, and requested the ECP to postpone the demand for added supplementary grants within the wider nationwide curiosity.

“The demand for a further supplementary grant needs to be deferred until the financial state of affairs of the nation improves,” the letter learn.

The Election Fee had initially requested a grant price Rs52 billion for election expenditures. Nonetheless, the quantity was decreased to Rs47 billion on the finance ministry’s request.

Based on the Financial Coordination Committee’s (ECC) resolution, the quantity of Rs5 billion has been launched, whereas the discharge of one other installement of Rs10 billion is in course of.

The Ministry of Finance has requested the ECP to supply particulars of bills and overseas alternate necessities. “The Election Fee ought to present particulars of things exempted from austerity measures,” stated the finance ministry.

“The federal government is dealing with an unprecedented financial disaster and monetary deficit. In such a state of affairs, it has to supply funds for the flood-affected areas and conduct a census. In such a situation, unplanned and unbudgeted bills will result in further financial burdens. The nation is at present below the IMF programme which has very strict phrases,” it added.