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Add: Jabbar

He said the cabinet took a procedural decision with regard to the release of funds for the Ministry of Population Welfare activity through the provinces.

The decision, he said, has been taken to facilitate the process of disbursement through the Accountant General of Pakistan Revenue and its sub-offices.

BANKING REFORMS

The cabinet also took a decision on reforming the banking sector by further refining and improving the prudential aspect of banking, he said.

"The government authorised amendments in the Banking Companies Ordinance 1962 with regard to the enforcement of international standard for capital adequacy requirement for banks."

The advisor said the Ordinance had been approved by the previous National Assembly and was pending in the Senate when it was suspended.

"We wish to help the State Bank of Pakistan to strengthen its role in being able to further improve the banking sector."

Javed Jabbar said the government felt that it is long overdue that the public exchequer should be able to receive a due licence fees.

The fees, he said, will be fixed in proportion to the size of a cable operator so that the fees will be pegged to the number of households that it serves.

The Cabinet, he said, recognised the fact that the cable TV system has the enormous potential in the future.

"This has the potential of bringing the internet and the advantages of the internet information flow into the homes across the country Ñ middle-income and low-income people, who cannot afford access to computers."

"So as a step towards the modernisation of Pakistan's body politic, it is an important step."

RENEWABLE ENERGY

The advisor said the cabinet has decided that a wind-mapping exercise be conducted to determine the wind velocity and speed as a potential source of energy.

The Ministers of Science and Technology will conduct the exercise, particularly with regard to Balochistan, some parts of Sindh as also some selected parts of Northern Areas.

"The intention is to identify sources of renewable energy," he said citing the recent examples of the US, Denmark and India that have successfully put the wind resources to produce very cheap energy.

He said the cabinet directed the Ministry of Science and Technology to take another look at the whole sector of solar energy.

The cabinet devoted a substantial amount of time to looking at the economics of solar energy and the experience of several Middle East countries in the field.

"The cabinet resolved that solar field be accorded a high priority in the development of any new energy policy and any possible restructuring of the energy resources in Pakistan," Jabbar said.