Prime Minister Imran Khan has reconstituted the Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) of the Cabinet with Dr Abdul Hafeez Shaikh, his adviser on finance, revenue and economic affairs, appointed as the committee’s chairman, it emerged on Friday.
A series of notifications were issued in this regard by the Cabinet Secretariat a day earlier, detailing the new composition of the committee’s members, which will number 14 in total.
These include the ministers for communications; law and justice; maritime affairs; national food security and research; petroleum; power; planning, development and reform; privatisation; railways; poverty alleviation and social safety; and water resources. It will also include adviser to the prime minister on commerce, textile, industry, and production and investment; and adviser to the prime minister on institutional reforms and austerity.
It may be noted that the minister for poverty alleviation and social safety has not yet been appointed.
According to the notifications, the Cabinet Committee on Energy (CCoE), as well as the Cabinet Committee on Privatisation (CCoP) have also been reconstituted, with Dr Shaikh also leading these.
The CCoE shall consist of seven members, whereas the CCoP will have eight.
Cabinet reshuffle
A major cabinet reshuffle took place earlier this month which saw the stepping down of Asad Umar as minister for finance. Dr Abdul Hafeez Shaikh was then appointed the adviser on finance, tasked with assuming Umar’s prior responsibilities.
Dr Abdul Hafeez Shaikh is an internationally renowned economist with more than 30 years of experience in economic policymaking, management and implementation.
He served as the finance minister from 2010 to 2013 during the PPP government’s rule.
During his tenure as federal minister, Dr Shaikh completed 34 sale transactions worth Rs300 billion in banking, telecom, electricity, and manufacturing.
