Punjab govt approves Rs12 billion package for the poor hit by lockdown
Chief Minister Usman Buzdar says every deserving family will get Rs4,000 each | Doctors, paramedics on frontline of fight against coronavirus to get one bonus salary | Rs15 billion taxes for business community waived
March 28, 2020 11:02 PM
The Punjab government has approved a Rs10 billion relief package for deserving families hit by the lockdown triggered by the coronavirus outbreak in the country, Chief Minister Sardar Usman Buzdar told the media in Lahore on Saturday.
“We have approved a Rs10 billion package to provide Rs4,000 each to deserving families across the province,” he said. “We have also waived Rs15 billion taxes for the business community,” he said. As many as 2.5 million families would benefit from the relief package, he said. He said that doctors and paramedics on the frontline of the fight against coronavirus would get one bonus salary.
"The Government of Punjab will make sure that the poor and daily wage earners are not left alone in this time of need," he said.
As part of efforts to prevent the spread of coronavirus in the Punjab prisons, Buzdar said the government had decided to commute jail term of people involved in petty crimes by 90 days. "A recommendation for under-trial prisoners will also be sent to the federal government soon," he said.
The Punjab chief minister announced that the government had decided to waive Rs18 billion provincial taxes, as the coronavirus crisis had crippled the economic activity in the province and the country. He said the virus was spreading in Punjab at a fast pace. In the last 24 hours, he said, 82 cases were reported across the province.
As of March 28, Punjab has the highest number of coronavirus infections in the country and figure now stands at 497. The number of coronavirus deaths in the province is five and the number of those who have recovered is four.