ECC approves Brownfield Policy upgrade agreement

September 14, 2026 (MLN): The Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) of the Cabinet today approved the draft upgrade agreements under the Pakistan Oil Refining Policy for Upgradation of Existing/Brownfield Refineries, 2023, as amended in August 2026.

The agreement will be signed by all refineries subject to the availability of the Prime Minister this month.

The agreement will provide the framework for implementation and monitoring of refinery upgradation projects and associated incentives, with a completion period of five years.

The ECC meeting was chaired by Federal Minister for Finance and Revenue, Senator Muhammad Aurangzeb, at the Finance Division in Islamabad, said a press release issued.

Among other decisions, the ECC approved the Prime Minister's Fuel Relief Scheme, aimed at providing targeted relief to lower-income segments in the wake of increased petroleum prices.

Under the scheme, two- and three-wheelers will receive relief of Rs500 per week, equivalent to 5 litres at Rs100 per litre, while cars up to 800cc will receive relief of Rs1,000 for ten days, based on 30 litres per month at Rs100 per litre.

The scheme will be restricted to non-commercial users, with relief limited to one vehicle per user/owner.

The Ministry of IT & Telecom will deploy and manage the Fuel Pass System (FPS) for digital management and transparent delivery of the relief. The ECC approved Rs75bn as a Technical Supplementary Grant (TSG) for implementation of the scheme.

The ECC also approved the Implementation Framework for restructuring of Pakistan National Shipping Corporation (PNSC) ownership and management control, as recommended by the Implementation Committee headed by the Minister for Privatisation.

On settlement of financial matters of Oil Marketing Companies (OMCs), the ECC approved compensation of unadjusted input sales tax claims of OMCs for July 2025 to June 2026 through the Inland Freight Equalization Margin (IFEM). The arrangement will provide an interim mechanism for settlement of the claims, with due diligence and verification to be ensured by the concerned authority.

A summary from the Science & Technology Division seeking review of the earlier ECC decision on standards and regulatory requirements for commercial imports of used vehicles was deferred.

The ECC directed that recommendations of the committee constituted to review the EDB vehicle import inspection regime be obtained before the summary is resubmitted.

The ECC approved export of 200,000 MT of surplus sugar, endorsing the recommendations of the Steering Committee on Sugar, including safeguards to maintain domestic price stability in the local market.

The ECC further approved Rs3bn through a Technical Supplementary Grant for purchase of 15 bullet-proof sedan vehicles for use during the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation's (SCO) Council Summit, to be hosted by Pakistan in Islamabad in September 2027.

The vehicles were deemed necessary for security of heads of state, with the committee referencing arrangements observed during the recent SCO Summit in Kyrgyzstan.

The meeting was attended by; Federal Minister for National Food Security and Research, Rana Tanveer Hussain; Federal Minister for Investment, Mr. Qaiser Ahmed Sheikh; Federal Minister for Commerce, Mr. Jam Kamal Khan; Federal Minister for Power, Sardar Awais Ahmad Khan Leghari; Federal Minister for Petroleum, Mr. Ali Pervaiz Malik; Federal Minister for Information Technology and Telecommunication, Ms. Shaza Fatima Khawaja; Advisor to the Prime Minister on Industries and Production, Mr. Haroon Akhtar Khan and Adviser to the Prime Minister on Privatisation, Mr. Muhammad Ali; along with Federal Secretaries and Senior Officials from the relevant Ministries, Divisions, and Regulatory Authorities.

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