ECC approves Rs13bn FY27 grant for PTVC

ISLAMABAD: The Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) of the Cabinet has directed the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting to prepare a comprehensive roadmap for making Pakistan Television Corporation (PTVC) financially sustainable and capable of shouldering its own expenditures, and present it before the ECC by the end of September 2026. The directions were issued by the committee, headed by the Finance Minister, while approving a Technical Supplementary Grant (TSG) of Rs13 billion for PTVC for fiscal year 2026-27, to be released by the Finance Division on a quarterly basis at Rs3. 25 billion per quarter. The ECC considered a summary submitted by the Information and Broadcasting Division on July 31, 2026, titled “Technical Supplementary Grant (TSG) of Rs13 billion in favour of Pakistan Television Corporation (PTVC) for the Year 2026-27”, and approved the proposal. READ ALSO: NA panel concerned over financial woes of PTV According to the decision, the Finance Division will release the approved amount into the Assignment Account titled “Pakistan Television Corporation” in four equal quarterly instalments of Rs3. 25 billion. The ECC, however, expressed concern over the growing tendency among government organisations and entities to approach the Finance Division for additional funding at a later stage because such expenditures had not been proactively budgeted. The Information and Broadcasting Division had initially approached the Finance Division seeking concurrence for Rs20 billion for PTVC for FY2026-27. The Finance Division subsequently approved Rs13 billion and advised the ministry to move a summary for obtaining a TSG of the approved amount. The Information and Broadcasting Division informed the ECC that PTVC, operating under the Companies Act, 2017, and under the administrative control of the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting in accordance with the Rules of Business, 1973, is the country’s national public service broadcaster. It said PTVC contributes to national integration and development by showcasing Pakistan’s cultural diversity and projecting a vibrant, progressive, tolerant, inclusive and peaceful Pakistan. The division further apprised the ECC that PTVC is required to maintain uninterrupted nationwide broadcasting operations and meet substantial recurring expenditures as well as national and international commitments. These expenditures include pay and allowances, utility charges, satellite and transmission costs, programme production, security services, contractual payments and other essential operational expenses. The division maintained that the additional funding was required to enable PTVC to continue uninterrupted broadcasting operations and meet its financial obligations. During deliberations, the ECC expressed concern over PTVC’s continued dependence on government funding and emphasised the need for the corporation to develop sustainable revenue-generation mechanisms. The forum specifically suggested devising a mechanism for collection of licence fees to generate revenue and reduce PTVC’s recurring reliance on government funding. The ECC also discussed PTVC’s sizeable workforce, particularly in comparison with leading private television news channels, and observed that its organisational strength was not commensurate with the revenue being generated by the corporation. Responding to the observation, the Information and Broadcasting Division maintained that PTVC’s operational requirements were substantially different from those of private channels because of its much broader geographical outreach. It explained that PTVC’s nationwide coverage required greater human resources and involved higher operational costs, whereas private television channels were largely concentrated in urban areas. Some ECC members also suggested that PTVC could be revitalised through a greater focus on the production of drama and performing-arts content, which could help attract audiences and create additional revenue streams. After detailed deliberations, the ECC approved the Rs13 billion TSG, subject to its quarterly release by the Finance Division. Copyright Business Recorder, 2026

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