ISLAMABAD, Pakistan: The Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry has said that neither any decision has been made to further tax the salaried class nor prices of electricity or gas have been hiked.
While briefing the media about the decisions taken in the Federal Cabinet meeting held earlier in the day in Islamabad under the Chairmanship of Prime Minister Imran Khan, Fawad Chaudhry said that fake news are surfacing in media regarding increase in gas and electricity bills.
The minister said that the Cabinet has given its consent of disbanding the Capital Administration and Development Division (CADD). He said that the Capital Development Authority (CDA) will work under the interior ministry.
Fawad Chaudhry said that a Pakistan Television Corporation (PTV) Board consisting of eight members have been constituted.
The information minister also informed that it was decided in the Cabinet’s meeting to get the Metro bus projects audited.
The minister said that the previous Punjab government provided a subsidy of Rs 8.3 billion yearly on Metro bus projects, adding that Rs 29 billion were spent on the construction of Multan Metro bus project. He said that the new Punjab government will not run the projects if it cannot provide subsidy for.
Fawad Chaudhry said that a total of Rs 67 billion will be spent on Peshawar Metro Bus Service, adding that the provincial government will not give any subsidy for the project.
In addition, he said that in last five years, Rs 230 Crores were spent on the Prime Minister’s House in Islamabad and Rs 290 Crores were spent on the Chief Minister Punjab’s Secretariat in Lahore.
Talking about the Diamer-Basha and Mohmand Dams Fund, Fawad Chaudhry said that dams fund will be exempted from the income tax. He said that the Federal Cabinet thanked the Chief Justice of Pakistan Justice Mian Saqib Nisar for his contribution to collect funds for dams.
The minister further said that the gas shortage caused the lack of fertilizer production, adding that we need to import 100,000 tons of fertilizer.
