PFC Selects Four Members Of Local Govt Dept

Interim committee of the Provincial Finance Committee (PFC) on Friday selected four members of the Local Government department through drawing lots in order to constitute the PFC Commission

LAHORE, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 5th Jun, 2020 ) :Interim committee of the Provincial Finance Committee (PFC) on Friday selected four members of the Local Government department through drawing lots in order to constitute the PFC Commission.

The 2nd meeting of the interim PFC was chaired by the head of committee Punjab Finance Minister Hashim Jawan Bakhat to approve the release of funds as PFC share under Interim PFC Award, 2017, continuation of Interim Award 2017 till finalization of new PFC award under the PFC Act and consideration on the proposal of Local Government and Community Development Department to abolish fee for issuance of licenses for professions from July 1, 2020.

The meeting was attended by MPA Abdur Rehman Rana, Secretary Finance Abdullah Sumbal, Secretary Local Government Qazi Javed Ahmed, Senior consultant Faisal Rasheed, Member FBR Rana Ahmed and officials of the departments concerned.

The Finance Minister picked four lots which included Metropolitan Corporation Gujarwanwala, Tehsil Council Sahiwal, Tehsil Council Lalian, and Town Committee Dajal. Now four elected members, two each from opposition and treasury benches of the Punjab Assembly would be nominated by the government and opposition in order to complete the members of the PFC Award.

After nomination of the elected parliamentarians the PFC would be constituted.

The PFC would be chaired by Punjab Finance Minister, along with co-chair of Minister for Local Government and Community Development. The other members would be Secretary Finance, Secretary Local Government and Community Development, Secretary Planning and Development Department, and four technical experts out of which one woman included to give representation to females.

The Finance Minister deferring the proposal of abolishment of fee for issuance of licenses for professionals asked to check impact of fee abolishment on ease of doing business. Further, he observed that it was the mandate of the PFC Commission not the interim commission which was made to grant approvals of required funds to run the affairs of the local governments in the province. The minister further stated that Local Government Finance Commission (LGFC) can only fix upper and lower limits of local taxes, fee, rate etc. and it was not the right forum to approve it.

The Interim Committee also approved the releases of funds to LGs under PFC Award, 2017 for 2019-20 to manage the affairs of the Local Government departments.