ECC approves cash support for jobless labourers, small businesses
ISLAMABAD: The Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) has approved two packages for unemployed labourers and another package for small business owners.
Addressing a press conference after the ECC meeting, Federal Minister for Industries and Production Hammad Azhar said that the packages will be presented before the federal cabinet for approval.
The minister said a Rs75 billion package has been approved for the people unemployed due to the coronavirus crisis.
He added that the Ehsaas programme, along with the Ministry for Industries and Production, will launch a portal to register those unemployed.
“Under the package, the unemployed will be provided with Rs12,000 in installments,” said the minister. He added that the details of the package will be uploaded on the website after it is approved by the federal cabinet.
The minister, while sharing details of the package for small businesses, stated that the government will pay electricity bills for up to three months for those consuming 5 kilowatt (commercial customers) or 70 kilowatt (industrial customers) of electricity.
“The package shall benefit 3.5 million small businesses,” said Azhar. He added that to determine electricty consumption, data from the past will be used as a benchmark.
The minister stated that 95% of all commercial and 80% of all industrial connections in the country will benefit from the cash injection.
ECC has today approved the package that shall benefit 35 lac small businesses.
For those with 5KW commercial or 70 KW industrial connections, the govt will pay their electricity bills for up to 3 months after they restart.
Consumption data from past will be used as a benchmark.— Hammad Azhar (@Hammad_Azhar) April 27, 2020
95% of all commercial and 80% of all industrial connections in the country will benefit from this cash injection in their businesses.
These businnesea are overwhelmingly of micro, small and medium scale.— Hammad Azhar (@Hammad_Azhar) April 27, 2020
The sums deposited in their bills will stay valid for utilisation upto 6 months. The sum will be based on actual consumption and total payments made from the meter in the May, June, July 2019 period combined.
— Hammad Azhar (@Hammad_Azhar) April 27, 2020
“These businesses are overwhelmingly of micro, small and medium scale,” clarified the minister. He added that the sums deposited towards their bills will stay valid for upto six months.
“The sum will be based on actual consumption and total payments made from the meter in the May, June, July 2019 period combined,” said the minister.
The minister shared that the relief packages will be applicable across the four provinces, Gilgit Baltistan and Azad Jammu and Kashmir. He added that the package will benefit 10.7 million households in the country, out of 60 million households total.
Last week, the ECC also approved Rs75 billion for targeted payments to low-income groups, especially labourers and daily wagers most severely affected by the lockdown in the country.
According to a statement released by the government, an estimated six million people are expected to benefit from the scheme in addition to the 12 million labour population already targeted through the Kifalat programme.
The amount was taken from the Prime Minister’s COVID-19 Relief Package of Rs200 billion, disclosed the government.
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