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Karachi: US-based Pakistanis (originally hailing from Karachi), in collaboration with the Drug-Free Pakistan Foundation (DFPF) has launched a local relief organization called ‘Karachites’ to help the city’s hard-hit families amid the going coronavirus lockdown, according to a news report. The organization, operating from its Gulistan-e-Jauhar site main office, is engaged in distributing rations and other essential items among the needy.

Read: Federal govt mulls offering tax relief to businesses, industries

Karachites and its volunteers are carrying out the relief operations in an organized manner by following the communicated SOPs, claims the report. These Pakistanis have sent USD 25,000 in terms of donation to help the needy and have registered approximately 1,000 such families. ‘Karachites’ is currently providing ration to around 150 families per week.

Read: COVID-19 Relief: Islamabad-based art gallery auctions pieces to generate charity funds

In order to do so, the organization purchases ration two days a week utilizes a couple of days to pack it and informs the families via phone calls about the time and place from where they can collect their ration. According to the organization’s spokesperson, no video footage or pictures of this activity is available as their sole purpose is to genuinely help those in need.

Islamabad: The federal government is looking into a tax relief proposal for businesses and industries in the wake of the reduced economic activity accrued and further expected in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic, a news source reported. As per reports, the final decision will be announced after a top-level meeting with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) Executive Board on April 16.

Read: COVID-19 Relief: Islamabad-based art gallery auctions pieces to generate charity funds

The provincial governments have separately announced their own versions of relief packages for industries but the federal government has not yet announced any such package. However, now that the IMF seems willing to provide relief to the taxpayers, the government is looking hopeful in announcing a package for this soon.

It will be decided at the high-level meeting about whether the relief package should be provided before or after the budget.

Read: Notable figures, firms make generous donations to PM’s COVID-19 Relief Fund

IMF has recommended cash transfers to vulnerable sections of the population, wage subsidies for the protection of industrial jobs and tax relief to industrial and business units to all the developing countries of the world.

Islamabad: An Islamabad-based art gallery ‘Gallery6’ has started auctioning art pieces online to generate charity funds to facilitate the underprivileged families and struggling artists amid the coronavirus pandemic, according to news sources.

Read: Notable figures, firms make generous donations to PM’s COVID-19 Relief Fund

As per reports, the online auction is happening since April 5 and a piece is being auctioned every day – starting at a base price of one-fifth of the actual cost. Up til now, the auction has generated PKR 110,000 which is enough for the provision of ration to 25 struggling families.

Read: Cabinet committee for OGRA to handle pricing of coal

The curator of the gallery and trustee of Horizon International Trust Dr. Faisal revealed that his team has identified over a thousand families in need of urgent support and added that the trust has raised enough money in the last week to provide two weeks of ration provision or PKR 3,000 for 500 of such families.

Karachi: In a bid to support the government’s fight against the prevailing coronavirus and to provide relief to those hard-hit, notable figures and firms are coming forward with generous donations, according to the news sources.

Read: Cabinet committee for OGRA to handle pricing of coal

In view with the sentiment of supporting the federal government’s efforts, the JS Bank – in association with its key partners – has established a PKR 110 million fund. This fund will operate on a three-tier strategy – providing immediate relief, coronavirus pandemic control, and response capacity building.

In the first phase, rations, and necessities worth PKR 30 million for the families in need. In the second phase, the bank will arrange for Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and donate funds worth PKR 50 million to frontline institutions providing medical aid to the affectees.

Read: Balochistan govt receives housing units, Rubb Halls from UNHRC for quarantined citizens

Meanwhile, legendary national cricketer Shahid Khan Afridi distributed food packages to 500 adversely affected families from the valley of Chitral. The cricketer-run welfare foundation has been effectively working to provide relief to people amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

In a similar effort, Member Provincial Assembly (representative of a minority community) Denesh Khumar donated PKR 5 million to the Coronavirus Relief Fund established by the Balochistan government. Denesh is the first lawmaker from the ruling party to have made such a generous donation.

Islamabad: The federal government is looking to expand the scope of Oil and Regulatory Authority (OGRA) to allow to set the price for coal in the country, a news source reported.

The government also plans to revisit the imported coal supply agreement in an effort to lower the prices. Currently, OGRA only prices petroleum products, liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) and liquefied natural gas (LNG).

Read: Balochistan govt receives housing units, Rubb Halls from UNHRC for quarantined citizens

Presently, coal-related agreements and pricing are handled by the National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (NEPRA). Reportedly, it had also been proposed in a recent meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Energy (CCoE) that the government should revisit coal supply agreements to lower the costs.

Currently, all coal-fired projects are under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) framework and considering the delicate nature of the government-to-government arrangements, it was decided that the matter will be handled after following proper procedures.

Read: LDA sets new timeframes for issuance of map approvals

The three companies running coal-based power plants include Huaneng Shandong Ruyi Pakistan Energy, Qasim Electric Power Company and China Power Hub Generation Company.

The CCoE issued instructions that OGRA should handle the price of imported coal, at least.

Quetta: The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) has provided Rubb Halls and housing units to the Balochistan government in a bid to provide support against the COVID-19 pandemic, according to news sources.

Read: LDA sets new timeframes for issuance of map approvals

As per reports, the UNHCR has announced that it has provided 14 self-standing and durable housing units to be set up at the Balochistan Institute of Nephrology. The Rubb Halls (large, tent-like relocatable structures) were offered to the provincial Disaster Management Authority for the accommodation of suspected coronavirus patients.

Read: RDA delays Fawara Chowk Car Parking Plaza auction due to COVID-19 spread

Earlier, the UNHCR also offered provisions of five fully-equipped ambulances, Personal Protective Equipment (PPEs), medical supplies, sanitation supplies, disinfectants, and other relief items to aid the government’s efforts against coronavirus outbreak. UNHCR’s sub-office (Quetta) Head Zephania Amuiri revealed that such assistance will aid the Balochistan government ‘to effectively respond to the prevailing pandemic’.

Lahore: The Lahore Development Authority (LDA), on Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan’s directives, has decided to reduce its standard time frame set for sanctioning building plan approvals for commercial, residential, mixed-use, and high-rise developments, a news source reported.

Read: RDA delays Fawara Chowk Car Parking Plaza auction due to COVID-19 spread

The LDA will now approve map oversight requests for houses and commercial projects in 21 and 30 days, respectively; while the timeframe specified for the approval of high-rise developments has been set at 45 days.

For streamlining the approvals process, the LDA will also arrange for the issuance of no-objection certificates (NOC) from all concerned authority departments via its one-window cell facility.

Read: Prime Minister’s Ehsaas Emergency Cash programme receives 38 mn SMS

On April 9, the LDA, through its official Facebook page, revealed that Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan had called on the LDA DG to discuss measures for promoting activity in the construction sector. The DG, in response, had informed the PM that the authority has completed all the legislative requirements for approving maps for high-rise projects within 45 days. Remarking on this development, Khan said that this timeframe needed to be reduced further.

Read: Prominent shopping malls across Pakistan waive April rent

Further, the LDA DG told the PM that an online application submissions framework for processing map approvals had also been put in place; with arrangements currently being made to bring all LDA departments concerned with map approvals under one roof – in an attempt to expedite the process.

Rawalpindi: The Rawalpindi Development Authority (RDA) has introduced its choice to postpone the auction of the Fawara Chowk car Parking Plaza for an unspecified period of time, a news supply stated.

Read: COVID-19 Relief: IMF to give Pakistan USD 1.4 bn to deal with economic turmoil

As per the ebook, the stated occasion becomes at the start scheduled to take region nowadays (April 9). The RDA spokesperson is knowledgeable that the decision becomes taken within the wake of lockdown implemented by way of the authorities to govern the spread of novel coronavirus.

Read: Prominent shopping malls across Pakistan waive April rent

He, in addition, said that a new date for the auction of the stated contract could be introduced later when the scene returns to normal.

Previously, in February, the district management had introduced its selection to assemble a multi-story computerized hydraulic parking plaza at the Fawara Chowk. The parking plaza is expected to accommodate 250 bikes and 300 automobiles.

Read: Prime Minister’s Ehsaas Emergency Cash programme receives 38 mn SMS

Later, in March, the civic frame invited expressions of the hobby from qualified firms for the improvement of the parking plaza. It becomes knowledgeable in March that the civic frame could award a PKR 10.33 million settlement for two years.

Islamabad: since the launch of Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan’s Ehsaas Emergency coins programme, the government has acquired over 38 million text messages from humans in search of financial assistance amid the lockdown imposed to incorporate the going COVID-19 pandemic, in keeping with a brand new supply. As in step with the ebook, this wide variety is three instances better than the projected variety of households the initiative is supposed to assist.

Read: Prominent shopping malls across Pakistan waive April rent

Whilst speaking to the media, the Ehsaas Programme spokesperson said that it’s miles viable that the reason the range of acquired SMSs became so massive turned into due to the fact all participants of a circle of relatives can also have carried out for the cash assistance via separate messages. So, in order to test for the authenticity of every textual content, all the applications will be confirmed via the countrywide Database Registration Authority, the local authorities, and the national Socio-financial Registry.

Read: COVID-19 Relief: IMF to give Pakistan USD 1.4 bn to deal with economic turmoil

Underneath this programme, the government will provide PKR 12,000 to every family registered with the authority concerned. In order to accommodate as many families as viable, the authorities have indicated that additional assets may be released for the initiative — further to the PKR one hundred forty-four billion funds that has already been allocated for this reason.

Lahore: within the wake of the nationwide lockdown implemented due to the coronavirus outbreak, nearly all distinguished department stores inside the united states of America (inclusive of packages Mall, Mall of Lahore, Centaurus, Doleman Mall, and LuckyOne Mall) have decided to waive the rents owed via their outlets for April, consistent with information resources.

Read: ‘Walk-through’ Corona testing machine to arrive next week: Chairman NDMA

In addition, some of those shops have even presented discounts on rents for the months of March and might in a bid to facilitate their retail shopkeepers.

This improvement became spurred via the letter issued by using the united states’ main retail institutions — the Chain keeps the association of Pakistan (CAP) and the Pakistan Retail enterprise Council (PRBC) — urging the high-end purchasing malls to offer alleviation to their retailers amid the coronavirus lockdown.

Read: Govt mulls inviting donations from overseas Pakistanis to offset COVID-19-induced economic blow

As in keeping with the source, the character landlords have been resisting this name for remedy. However, after the 3-month remedy on rent, they are probably inclined to comply with healthily.

Moreover, the waiver from rents doesn’t encompass the common region upkeep (CAM) fees, that are charged at PKR a hundred consistent with square foot.

The control of LuckyOne Mall has announced its selection to waive off full license expenses for April, 50% for May and 25% for June. The mall has also waived off the chilled water prices.