Report on NFC Award completed by experts

By Khalid Mustafa

ISLAMABAD: The experts’ team formed by President Pervez Musharraf has completed its report on the new National Finance Commission (NFC) award, which is likely to be presented in a meeting today (Saturday), attended by President Musharraf and Prime Minister Shuakat Aziz.

“We have completed our homework and also briefed the president who has examined the work done by the experts,” an official at President’s Secretariat told Daily Times on Friday. The official refused to reveal the main points of the new mechanism to distribute resources among the provinces under the NFC award prepared by the president. He also did not say anything about the chief ministers’ meeting on the issue.

President Musharraf will leave for a visit to the Middle East today (Saturday) and it is essential to decide about the new NFC award prior to his visit.

NWFP Finance Minister Sirajul Haq told Daily Times that President’s House had not invited him to the chief ministers’ meeting on Saturday to discuss the issue, adding that the finance secretary might inform the provincial government late in the night. The Balochistan finance minister also told Daily Times that he was not aware of any meeting with the president, but he said his province would accept the president’s decision on the NFC award. The Sindh finance secretary said he did not know about the new NFC mechanism evolved by president.

Under the existing NFC award, the provincial share is 37.5 percent, while the remaining 62.5 percent goes to the centre.

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