Punjab E&T Dept to make efforts for achieving targets: Minister

LAHORE (APP): Provincial Minister for Excise & Taxation and Narcotics Control Hafiz Mumtaz Ahmad said on Saturday that the Excise & Taxation (E&T) Department would make every effort to achieve the targets, set under the manifesto of Prime Minister Imran Khan. While chairing a meeting of Divisional Directors at Secretary Excise & Taxation office, Transport House, the minister said, "We have to work jointly as a team for eradication of corruption." On this occasion, the provincial minister also issued directives to divisional directors for improvement of tax recovery in their respective areas. He said that every director and his staff would be responsible for his work in future. Hafiz Mumtaz said that he would visit the divisional Excise offices very soon. In the meeting, the divisional directors presented the collection and recovery reports of year 2018 up to August 2018 of their divisions and the future strategy for improvement was reviewed.

Secretary E&T Babar Shafi, Director General Muhammad Akram Ashraf Gondal, Director DG Khan Division Abullah Khan, Director Bahawalpur Division Iftikhar Ahmad Bhatti and Director Sargodha Division Fiza Shah attended the meeting.

 

 

 

Sindh Tevta introduces modern training system in demand-driven trades

HYDERABAD (APP): The Sindh Technical Education and Vocational Training Authority (Sindh TEVTA) has introduced the Competency Based Training and Assessment (CBT&A) in demand driven trades to produce skilled workforce. These demand driven trades would ensure better employability for the graduates of technical and vocational education and training (TVET) as industry is onboard from the time of curriculum development up to assessment, director Industrial Coordination Abdul Hafeez Abro made these remarks while briefing the media at a local hotel after the visit of Vocational Training Institute (VTI) Kotri. He informed that the VTI Kotri was being converted into Center of Excellence, with the support of the TVET Sector Support Programme (SSP), funded by the European Union and governments of Germany and Norway. The SSP is supporting the federal and provincial governments to reform the TVET system and build the capacity of partners.

 leading towards better job prospects leading towards an improved TVET system, he said and told that the Programme has supported the government in development of National TVET Policy and National Vocational Qualification Framework, the main pillars of an effective TVET system.

He shared a detailed presentation on the functions and achievements of Sindh TEVTA, adding that provincial government and management of S-TEVTA were making all-out efforts to increase the enrollment in over 250 institutes to decrease the unemployment among youth.

He informed that the Competency Based Training was a modern training system of the NVQF which ensures nationally recognized certificate for local and international employment. He said that the training courses are offered in most demand driven trades with the active involvement of industry, adding that industry and private sector is the backbone of the modern system.

He urged the media to play its role in removing the social stigma attached with vocational training so more and more youth can join this training system as this will lead to the poverty alleviation.

 

 

 

PTDC generating $8.3 million revenue per annum

ISLAMABAD (APP): Pakistan Tourism Development Corporation (PTDC) is generating revenue of $8.3 million dollars per annum, primarily through its motels and tourist resorts and hotels. According to official sources, around 42,247 tourists had arrived in Pakistan during five years and visited different historical sites and scenic locations. Talking to APP, the official sources highlighted the measures taken to promote tourism in the country and said tourism is a subject devolved to provinces which demands the attention of stakeholders for the uplift of PTDC. The sources said a total of 58,010 tourist publications including publicity materials of about 48,955 brochures and maps, 3,541 posters, 3,015 DVDs & CDs and 2,498 picture postcards containing information of tourists attractions were distributed among Pakistani missions abroad in Mauritius, Canada, China, Bulgaria, Lebanon, United Kingdom, Thailand, Sweden and others.

Promotion of PTDC facilities and tourist attractions through social media network and introduction of curriculum for tourism in universities through Higher Education Commission (HEC) were the other measures adopted to promote the sector.

 

 

 

Rs23.27b provided as subsidy through USC in five years

ISLAMABAD (APP): A subsidy of Rs 23.279b has been provided to public through USC during last five years (2013-14 to 2017-18) on various edible items. Of the total subsidy, Rs 11881.504m were provided as subsidy for sugar, Rs 8672.066m under Ramazan Package and Rs 2725.908m as PM Package. The year-wise break-up showed on Friday that total Rs 12554.778m were provided as subsidy during 2013-14, Rs 2873.557 million during 2014-15, Rs 1779 million during 2015-16, Rs 4250.603 million during 2016-17 and Rs 1821.069 million were provided as subsidy to general public during 2017-18. The subsidy for sugar was provided for two years and the amount was Rs 10447.828 million during 2013-14 and Rs 1433.675 million during 2014-15. Of the total Rs 8672.066 million of Ramazan package during last five years, Rs 2106.949 were provided during 2013-14, Rs 1439.882 during 2014-15, Rs 1545.543 million during 2015-16, Rs 1846.692 million during 2016-17 and Rs 1733 million during year 2017-18.

Similarly, of the total Rs. 2725.908 million provided as subsidy under Prime Minister Relief Package in three years, Rs 233.927 million were provided during 2015-16, Rs 2403.911 million during 2016-17 and Rs 88.069 million during 2017-18.

As per details provided by Industries and Production Division, vendors have not stopped supply of stock to USC as their outstanding payments are being gradually released.

As regards, reduction in sale volume of USC, it is primarily due to discontinuation of subsidy on sugar with effect from April 26, 2014 and discontinuation of sale of utility brand ghee/oil due to complaint on quality of USC ghee/oil. As a result, the sale volume has reduced from Rs.6 billion to 2 billion per month.