Approving the $1 billion allocations to purchase vaccines on Tuesday, Planning Minister Asad Umar said the cabinet’s National Economic Council (NEC) had decided to hold frequent meetings every year to evaluate not just the Program. Public Sector Development Plans (PSDP), but also the Provincial Annual Development Plans (PAD) to ensure the effective use of public funds.
The Head of National Command and Operations Center Asad Umar said earlier that funds would be allocated for the procurement of vaccines following requirements.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of National Health Service has asked the Accountant General of Pakistan Revenue (AGPR) to pay Rs270 million to Pakistan International Airlines (PIA), Pakistan Air Force (PAF), and a private company to deal with transporting the vaccine.
Pakistan was initially dependent on Covax, an international alliance that had pledged to provide free Covid-19 vaccine to 20 percent of the country’s population.
The federal government would approve the $1 billion allocations through the ECC on Wednesday to purchase Covid-19 vaccines. He said the government had already purchased $250 million worth of vaccines because starting businesses and restoring normal life after the current restrictions lifted were directly linked to an effective vaccination campaign in the country.
Asad Umer said the country’s economic growth could not be taken to the next level without effective vaccination, otherwise, the coronavirus would spread again with the ease of restrictions, as it did in Delhi, where the number of patients rose again a few days ago.
Furthermore, at a press conference on Tuesday, the planning minister said that the federal government has defined development priorities with the support and consultation with the provinces, but decisions on the federal PSDP cannot be made by the provinces.
