ECC have approved the technical supplementary grant (TSG) of PKR 100 million for centralized procurement of Information Communication Technology (ICT) infrastructure required for the launch of the e-Government program.

The Economic Coordination Committee is a principle federal institution and a consultative forum used by the people-elected Prime Minister of Pakistan as its chairman, for concerning matters of state’s economic security, geo-economics, political economic and financial endowment issues. The Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) of the Cabinet has recently approved a technical supplementary grant (TSG) of PKR 100 million for centralized procurement of Information Communication Technology (ICT) infrastructure required for the launch of the e-Government program.

As a way to implement an e-Government program, the Ministry of Information Technology and Telecommunication (MoITT) had aimed for this initiative and moved a summary to the ECC while hoping for a TSG of PKR 100 million for procurement of ICT for the National Information Technology Board (NITB). The agreement took place over a meeting with the ECC and including notable personalities such as the Adviser to Prime Minister on Finance Dr. Abdul Hafeez Shaikh who presided over the ECC meeting.

According to documents posted once the meeting was concluded, MoITT had wanted to have and asked for financial support from the Finance Ministry. The Finance Ministry had deliberated over this requested and went on to state that due to the severe financial constraints faced by the national exchequer, the Finance Ministry will provide PKR 100 million through the technical supplementary grant as a way to utilize the amount for centralized procurement during the current financial year. This can be done through giving away a subsequent and equal amount of the provision of contingencies (IB-0780) under demand No.041-subsidies and other expenses of the Finance Division.

The federal cabinet also went on to approve the plan to convert all the federal ministries and departments by June 2020 which will allow for centralized procurement which will cost PKR 1.4 billion. It is important to note that the cost has also increased to PKR 1.8 billion due to the fall of the Pakistan Rupee. One official who was present at the meeting stated that it has been finalized that all the ministries will surrender non-development funds to the ministry and a centralized procurement would be made; noting that PKR 11.7 million have been surrendered by eight ministries so far.