Peshawar – The provincial cabinet of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa approved several key decisions in its meeting held on Thursday, chaired by Chief Minister Ali Amin Khan Gandapur at the Civil Secretariat. The meeting was attended by Ministers, Advisors, Special Assistants, the Chief Secretary, Additional Chief Secretaries, Senior Member of the Board of Revenue, and relevant Administrative Secretaries.
One of the major decisions was the approval of amendments to the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Universities Act, 2012, which will now be presented before the Provincial Assembly. These amendments include the designation of the Chief Minister as the Chancellor and the appointing authority for Vice Chancellors of universities in the province. The tenure of the Vice Chancellors has been set at four years, subject to a mid-tenure review by a Performance Evaluation Committee to be constituted by the government. Additionally, the amendments mandate that only women candidates be appointed to the Vice Chancellor positions in the public sector women’s universities in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
The cabinet also approved the draft Agriculture Income Tax Act, 2024, which will be presented in the Provincial Assembly for enactment. If passed, it will come into force from January 2025. This new act follows discussions with the Federal Board of Revenue and the International Monetary Fund, highlighting the need to levy Agriculture Income Tax on companies involved in corporate agriculture. The draft includes measures such as a “Super Tax” on high-earning individuals and companies and penalties for the mis-declaration and non-submission of Agriculture Income Tax returns. The new Agriculture Income Tax Act will repeal the KP Land and Agriculture Income Tax Ordinance of 2000.
Furthermore, the cabinet approved a framework agreement between the Provincial Housing Authority of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and the Pakistan Housing Authority Foundation (PHAF) for the construction of a low-cost housing scheme at Surizai, District Peshawar. This scheme will include the construction of 8,000 grey structure houses and 5,000 apartments over a total area of 8,500 kanal.
The cabinet also approved several financial allocations and cost enhancements for various projects and programs. Notably, the project cost for the “Construction & Repair & Maintenance Workshop for the WSSP Solid Waste Management Equipment and Machinery in Peshawar” was increased from Rs. 243.531 million to Rs. 325.271 million. Similarly, the cabinet approved cost enhancements for the “Reconstruction of Women & Children Liaqat Memorial Teaching Hospital in District Kohat.”
In health-related matters, the cabinet sanctioned an initial allocation of Rs. 500 million under the Sehat Card Plus Program to cover diseases currently not included under the program in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. A grant of Rs. 10 million was also approved for the Rukhsana Mother & Child Trust Hospital (RMCTH) in Peshawar. Additionally, the cabinet approved regular annual funding as a grant-in-aid for the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Blood Transfusion Authority and allocated Rs. 10 million as a grant for the Fatimid Foundation for the fiscal year 2024/25. The cabinet also approved medical financial assistance of Rs. 3 million for Mst. Kausar Samrin to cover her treatment expenses for SLE Lupus Nephritis Kidneys.
In environmental and infrastructure matters, the cabinet approved seed money amounting to Rs. 200 million for the Biodiversity & Wildlife Fund. Furthermore, the cabinet approved an increase in the loan amount for the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Rural Accessibility Project (KP-RAP) from $300 million to $378 million. It also approved cost enhancements for the Thandyani Road in Abbottabad and the Mankial Road in Swat under the KITE project.
The cabinet also approved the fixation of operational costs with Akhuwat for the interest-free loan schemes in the province and the formation of a committee to draft the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Local Government Property Lease Rules, 2024. The cabinet also discussed and approved the findings of the FP&MC regarding the monitoring of ongoing woodlots, harvesting, transportation, and marketing of timber, directing relevant authorities to implement the recommendations in phases to avoid further issues for the owners of private wood-lots.
Additionally, the cabinet approved the electronic land rights information system, allowing revenue authorities to replace the traditional measurements of land with feet and inches instead of karams. It also approved the formation of the “Conservation Heritage Board” under the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Antiquities Act, 2016. The board will advise the Directorate on major interventions in the heritage built of the province and oversee the execution of such interventions according to international best practices.
Finally, the cabinet allowed the Establishment Department to settle, through arbitration, the issue regarding the supply of four bulletproof vehicles, a matter that had been pending in courts since 2018.
