The Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) of the Cabinet approved a supplementary grant of Rs6.6 billion on Monday to purchase 30 bulletproof vehicles for next year’s Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit and cleared continued gas supply to two Punjab-based fertiliser plants.
Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb chaired the ECC meeting, where the Cabinet Division had requested a much larger grant of Rs12.6 billion to buy more than 50 bulletproof vehicles for transporting visiting heads of state during the summit. Pakistan is set to host the SCO summit in September 2027.
After reviewing the proposal in detail, the ECC scaled it down and approved Rs6.6 billion for 30 vehicles instead. It asked the Cabinet Division to carry out a detailed needs assessment before requesting any additional funds and to bring the matter back to the committee if a further requirement is identified.
The committee also reviewed a proposal from the Ministry of National Food Security and Research on setting minimum indicative prices for the tobacco crop and revising cess rates for 2026-27. Members found the justifications insufficient and deferred the proposal, directing the ministry to resubmit it with stronger supporting evidence.
In other decisions, the ECC approved the export of donkey meat and hides from the Gwadar Free Zone, along with safeguards recommended by a committee formed to address issues related to the trade. The approval came at the request of the Ministry of National Food Security and Research.
The committee also allowed Fatima Fertiliser and Agritech to continue receiving gas supply under existing arrangements until September 30, a move meant to keep fertiliser production running amid a shortage of imported liquefied natural gas.
At the request of the Ministry of Federal Education and Professional Training, the ECC approved a Rs5 billion supplementary grant as seed money for the Daanish Schools Authority Fund, which will be maintained under an endowment framework.
The committee also reviewed progress on the Pakistan Skills Impact Bond and set September 30, 2026, as the deadline for the Ministry of Federal Education and Professional Training to report substantive progress on the initiative, for which the government has extended a guarantee.
