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Questions for Oral Answers and Their Replies”

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Questions for Oral Answers and Their Replies” 1 (40th Session) NATIONAL ASSEMBLY SECRETARIAT ————— “QUESTIONS FOR ORAL ANSWERS AND THEIR REPLIES” to be asked at a sitting of the National Assembly to be held on Wednesday, the 14th March, 2012 1. *Ms. Parveen Masood Bhatti: Will the Minister for Housing and Works be pleased to state: (a) whether there is any proposal under consideration of the government to launch new residential schemes in the country in near future; if so, the locations thereof; and (b) the steps being taken for launching such schemes? Minister for Housing and Works (Makhdoom Syed Faisal Saleh Hayat): (a) (A) FEDERAL GOVERNMENT EMPLOYEES HOUSING FOUNDATION (FGEHF) Two residential schemes in Islamabad are under consideration in Federal Government Employees Housing Foundation (FGEHF) for government employees:— i. A high-rise apartment scheme in Sector G-13/1 & 4, Islamabad. ii. Plots scheme at Barakahu, Islamabad (Zone-IV). The FGE Housing Foundation also intends to launch a new housing scheme for FG employees on ownership basis in Sector F-13 or F-14, Islamabad. 2 (B) PAKISTAN HOUSING AUTHORITY (PHA) Pakistan Housing Authority (PHA) is in the process of launching new residential schemes at I—16 and Kurri Road, Zones-IV, Islamabad. Detail is tabulated as under:— —————————————————————————————— Category Covered Area Units Location Imp. Time —————————————————————————————— El-Type Apartment 500Sft 1960 I–16, Isld June 2012 Row Cat-I House 50x90 4722 Sft 120 -do- Cat-II 40x80 3431 Sft 191 Kurri Area March 2012 -do- Cat-III 1995 Sqt Islamabad —————————————————————————————— (b) (A) FEDERAL GOVERNMENT EMPLOYEES HOUSING FOUNDATION (FGEHF): i. Launch of apartments scheme in Sector G-13 is in advance stage. Applications have been invited from registered members of Housing Foundation seeking their option. ii. The planning work on plot scheme in Bara Kahu has been completed and submitted to Capital Development Authority (CDA) for NOC which is still awaited. The Honourable Supreme Court of Pakistan took Suo Moto notice on above mentioned scheme. The matter is still under consideration before the Supreme Court. (B) PAKISTAN HOUSING AUTHORITY (PHA): Pakistan Housing Authority have been taken following steps so far: - Kurri Road Islamabad Project: The work on the development of the infrastructure is in progress and shall be completed by February, 2013. The work on different category houses is likely to commence in the month of April after tendering during 1st week of March, 2012. 3 I-16 Project Islamabad: Planning and designing of the project has been completed and has been submitted to CDA for approval. 2. *Ms. Tahira Aurangzeb: Will the Minister for Industries be pleased to refer to Starred Question No.76 replied on 21-11-2011 and to state: (a) the per litre price of cooking oil in the country as on 15th March, 2008; and (b) the per litre price of cooking oil at present? Minister for Industries (Ch. Pervaiz Ellahi): (a) The per liter price of cooking oil was Rs.150 in the country on 15th March, 2008 [Source: Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS)]. (b) The per liter price of cooking oil is Rs.198 on 16th February, 2012 in the country at present [Source: Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS)]. 3. *Ms. Khalida Mansoor: Will the Minister for Water and Power be pleased to state: (a) the year-wise plans made since March, 2008 till date for the storages of rains and floods water; (b) the location-wise Dams constructed in the country during the said period under the said plans; and (c) the quantity of said water being wasted annually in the country at present? Minister for Water and Power (Syed Naveed Qamar): (a) Construction of following dams is planned for storage of rains and flood water. Year wise plan of each dam is given as under:— 4 —————————————————————————————— Name of Project Start Completion* —————————————————————————————— Darawat Dam Project June 2010 June, 2013 Naulong Dam Project 2012 2015 Nai Gaj Dam Project 2012 2015 Kurram Tangi Project 2012 2015 Ghabir Dam Project 2012 2015 —————————————————————————————— * Subject to availability of funds as per requirement and timely releases. (b) The work on above dams is at different stages of Award and Construction. —————————————————————————————— S. No. Name of Dam Location —————————————————————————————— Under Construction 1. Darawat Dam Jamshoro, Sindh Under Award/Detailed Engineering Design 2. Naulong Jhal Magsi Balochistan 3. Nai Gaj Dadu Sindh 4. Ghabir Chakwal Punjab 5. Kurram Tangi North Waziristan Agency, Bannu, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa 6. Munda Dam Mohmand Agency (FATA), KPK 7. Tank Zam Dam D.I.Khan, KPK. 8. Hingol Dam Lasbela, Balochistan —————————————————————————————— (c) The discharge downstream Kotri for last four years is as under:— 2008 5.674 MAF 2009 3.998 MAF 2010 50.497 MAF 2011 11.963 MAF —————————————————————————————— 5 4. *Ms. Khalida Mansoor: Will the Minister for Industries be pleased to refer to Starred Question No.79 replied on 30-12-2011 and to state: (a) the steps being taken to re-start the closed industrial units in the country; and (b) the steps being taken to rehabilitate the sick industrial units in the country? Minister for Industries (Ch. Pervaiz Ellahi): (a) The following steps have been taken to restart the closed industries in the country during the year 2010-11 till date: 1. Primary and Input Industries. A group of primary industries has been supported which include steel & chemical. a. Steel and other Metals: The Government has reformed the steel sector and extended full support to develop indigenous metallurgical capabilities & more metallurgy institutes. b. Chemicals: The government has facilitated the establishment of a Petrochemical Complex near a major port, or refinery as a private-public partnership. 2. Technology Transfer A sustained effort has been made for internal technology transfer from innovative and productive organizations. 3. Promotion of Value Addition The Government has supported value addition in industry through a two- tier export tariff regime. Under such a program, in a given period, exports within the quota will be allowed zero rated or a lower (in quota) export tax, while exports in excess of the quota levels will be charged higher (out of quota) export tax. 6 4. Compliance with Standards The Government has enforced strict control over imports of products that do not meet the quality, safety or other standards. 5. Government Procurement. The government has enforced SRO 827(I)/2001 strictly to give preference to local firms in all Government tenders. This has been without prejudice to quality and safety benchmarks. 6. Industrial Clusters & Science Park. HEC and NAVTEC, in conjunction with IDB, has reviewed the curricula and infrastructure in universities, colleges and technical training institutes to make them more relevant to industry. 7. Compliance with WTO Provisions. The Government has created a special unit in the Ministry of Industries to oversee the prices. 8. Skills Development The Government has consolidated technical training in the country, and increase allocation to human resource and skills development in the PSDP. 9. Logistics The Government has constructed logistic hubs outside all major cities, and connecting these through highways to the industrial hotspots and ports. 10. Environment Matters Tax incentives and tax a rebate has been afforded to companies which establish effluent treatment plants and testing and certification laboratories. (b) The total amount of funds allocated for rehabilitation of the sick industrial units in the country during the year 2010-11is as under : 7 Establishment of the first ever SME credit Guarantee Fund: worth 10 billion. SMEs unable to produce collateral for bank loans will benefit from this facility. (Scheme stands launched on 19th March 2010) Venture Capital Fund of PKR 10 billion is being financed in the same manner as the SME Credit Guarantee Fund. With a view to promote industrialization and value addition and or promotion of exports, an Export Investment Support Fund worth PKR 40 billion has been established. I. PSDP Related Interventions aimed at Reviving the Industrial Sector: The objectives targeted in our PSDP (2011-12) aim at rejuvenating the industrial sector through 40 projects worth Rs. 5,430 Million with focus on; a. Innovation and efficiency in industrial sector. b. Building high skilled human capacity through targeted worker skills development programs. c. Provision of technology through technological up-gradation; provision of sophisticated machines, equipment, tools & spares in Common Facility Centers and machine pools; CAD/CAM facilities. d. Research and development in key industrial sectors. e. Targeted development of small and medium business entities to boost employment and reduce poverty. f. Industrial infrastructure development through Industrial Parks and development of Industrial Estates. II. Attracting FDI by incentives of 100% ownership; right to repatriate capital; joint public –private ventures. (BOI) III. Exemption of supplies to Export Processing Zones: 8 The supplies to Export Processing Zones were exempted from central excise duty vide SRO 333(I)/2002. However, the entry relating to supplies to EPZs could not be given in Third Schedule of the Act at the time of promulgation of Federal Excise. Act, 2005. To remove this adequacy, a new entry has been inserted in Table-I of the Third Schedule of Federal Excise Act to exempt goods imported or purchased locally for use in further manufacture of goods in export processing zones. 5. *Ms. Nighat Parveen Mir: Will the Minister for Water and Power be pleased to state: (a) whether it is a fact that the new Dams are being constructed by India on the River Indus; (b) if so, the steps being taken by the government to stop the construction of those Dams? Minister for Water and Power (Syed Naveed Qamar): (a) The Indus Water Treaty 1960 allows India to construct new Run of the River Hydroelectric Plants and Storage Works on the Western rivers (Indus, Chenab, Jhelum) within the design criteria and the storage works under the limitations as provided in the Treaty.
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