960414

NFC sub-committee

achieves consensus

LAILA A ALI

QUETTA: National Finance Commission Sub-Committee has unanimously recommended a formula acceptable to all the four federating units of Pakistan for the next NFC Award.

This was announced by Balochistan Finance Minister Shaikh Jafar Mandokhel and Member NFC Sub-Committee, Dr. Malik Baloch (Provincial Education Minister) at a joint briefing here on Sunday.

The announcement came after the two-day deliberations of NFC Sub-Committee moot opened here by Balochistan Chief Minister Zulfiqar Ali Magsi and presided over by Sindh Chief Minister Abdullah Shah holding finance portfolio.

The moot was also attended by provincial finance ministers of Punjab, NWFP, Balochistan and member of NFC Sub-Committee, including Senator Syed Kausar Masood, Senator Taj Hyder and Senator Pervaiz Saleh. It was also attended by provincial finance secretaries of all provinces.

Shaikh Jafar Mandokhel and Dr. Malik Baloch told the mediamen that these recommendations would now be submitted to the federal government which would finalise the NFC Award for the next five years to be announced well before June this year.

They said every democratic government is constitutionally bound to announce NFC Award under a formula for the distribution of national resources between the federation and the federating units. They added that all the four provinces had arrived at consensus on next NFC Award recommendations now provinces have to settle, the matter with federal government.

Asked to spell out these recommendations, they said it was not better to divulge details at this stage. These recommendations are yet to be finalised. They said other provinces had supported Balochistan's points of view on next NFC Award. As such all of us have arrived at consensus on these recommendations with realistic point of view. All our differences are over and there is no problem between the provinces.