The federal government has decided to keep the proceedings of the Economic Coordination Committee of the Cabinet (ECC) secret, which is a departure from the usual practice of informing the public about major decisions through press releases issued by the Finance Division.

Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb reportedly ordered that no press release be issued after the ECC meetings. This decision was implemented during the first and second ECC meetings under the current government.

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During the ECC meeting held on April 4, 2024, several supplementary grants totaling Rs. 24 billion were approved. These grants aimed to settle liabilities and backlogs resulting from unrealistic annual allocations. The approved grants included additional subsidies for various purposes such as for Gilgit-Baltistan residents, settling SME Bank employees’ liabilities, and subsidizing wheat flour and cooking oil supply.

Other allocations comprised clearing outstanding dues of media houses, covering Higher Education Commission expenses, providing funds for Passport Office employees abroad, procurement of Pakistan Rangers’ uniforms, establishing a new battalion for Pakistan Coast Guards, and repairing a VVIP’s helicopter by the Frontier Corps Balochistan.

Recently, the government committed to the IMF that it would not release any further supplementary grants. Additionally, the Chairman of the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) imposed a ban on all FBR officers/officials from interacting with the media on any issue.