Islamabad December 01 2021: Federal Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister in Islamabad on Tuesday, approved gas load management plan for the winter season in order to better deal with the gas shortage.
Briefing media persons about the cabinet decisions, Minister for Information and Broadcasting Chaudhary Fawad Hussain said under the gas load management plan, gas supply to the CNG sector will remain suspended from Dec 1 till February 15, 2022.
The Information Minister said the Election Commission of Pakistan should take this matter as well as the matter of rigging in Senate elections to the logical conclusion.
The Minister said all formalities regarding Saudi Arabia's three billion dollars safe deposits in State Bank of Pakistan and 1.2 billion dollars of oil facility have been completed.
He said the International Islamic Trade Finance Corporation will also provide 762 million dollars to Pakistan which will help stabilize rupee in the market.
In early November 2021, A financing agreement amounting to US$ 761.5 million has been signed between the Ministry of Economic Affairs, Government of Pakistan and International Islamic Trade Finance Corporation (ITFC) for import of crude oil, refined petroleum products and LNG etc.
The financing agreement was signed by Mian Asad Hayaud Din, Secretary, EAD and Eng. Hani Salem Sonbol, CEO, ITFC. The facility has been made effective immediately and ready for utilization by Pakistan State Oil Company Ltd (PSO), Pak Arab Refinery Ltd (PARCO) and Pakistan LNG Ltd (PLL) for import of oil and gas.
This Syndicated Murabaha Financing facility of US$ 761.5 million is for a period of one year and is a part of umbrella Framework Agreement signed with ITFC in June 2021 for total envelop of US$ 4.5 billion (US$ 1.5 million annually) for a period of three-years. Originally, ITFC had agreed to provide the financing of US$ 300 million.
However, due to growing energy needs of the country and enhanced confidence level of international financial institutions on economic reforms and recovery amid COVID-19 pandemic, the financing was over-subscribed by 2.5 times i.e. from US$ 300 million to from US$ 761.5 million. The financing facility will also be helpful in financing oil and gas import bill of the country and easing of pressure on foreign exchange reserves of the country.
Mian Asad Hayaud Din, Secretary, EAD appreciated the support for ITFc for arranging US$ 761.5 million for trade financing. He lauded the efforts of Eng. Hani Salem Sonbol, CEO, ITFC and his team for making this transaction successful. The ITFC and GOP have also agreed to continue their cooperation in future to mobilize financial resources to support Pakistan in its endeavours to achieve its economic growth targets through ITFC financing facility.
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