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Friday March 29, 2024

NAB okays recommendations for better governance in KP

ISLAMABAD: National Accountability Bureau (NAB) Chairman Qamar Zaman Chaudhry approved the recommendations prepared by the Prevention Committee on Public Health Engineering, W&S, Irrigation, Local government and Rural Development Department, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to educate and advise public authorities, holders of public office on measures to combat corruption and corrupt practices, examine

By our correspondents
July 07, 2015
ISLAMABAD: National Accountability Bureau (NAB) Chairman Qamar Zaman Chaudhry approved the recommendations prepared by the Prevention Committee on Public Health Engineering, W&S, Irrigation, Local government and Rural Development Department, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to educate and advise public authorities, holders of public office on measures to combat corruption and corrupt practices, examine the laws in force and also rules and regulation.
The Committee was constituted in pursuance of Section 33C of National Accountability Ordinance (NAO) 1999, comprising representatives of all stakeholders. The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa NAB DG gave presentation on the recommendations of Prevention Committee in the areas i.e. assets declaration and analysis system, code of conduct, charter of duties/ responsibilities, establishment of website to make department approachable and public friendly, one window service for public and awareness through display of procedures and rules, recruitment and promotion policies, extensive use of IT for transparency to reduce the gap in rent seeking, revision of schedule rates, enlistment process of contractors, education and training on Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Public Procurement Regulatory Authority (KP-PPRA) and Provincial Procurement Rules and adherence, transparency in tendering process, external audit and setting of audit objections, redress of grievance system, quality control and assurance in projects and standardisation of quality procurement as per rules.
The Prevention Committee recommended that:
1. All administrative secretaries should issue a certificate at the end of the financial year that officers/ officials have declared their assets.
2. Chief secretary to monitor issues of conduct of employees of departments through a sub committee comprising of Secretary Establishment, Secretary Law and concerned secretary on quarterly basis.
3. Charter of duties in the shape of Pakhtunkhwa Code be formulated and notified at the earliest.
4. All information relevant to the department should be uploaded on the departmental Web Sites in line with Right to Information Act - 2014 on regular basis.
5. PHE, C&W and Irrigation Departments do not have excessive public dealing; however, Local Government Department being the only department that deals with the general public should have one window service delivery system at the District and Tehsil level at first stage and will further extend at Union council’s level after six months on the basis of lessons learnt at district and tehsil levels.
6. Posting of officers on own pay scale (OPS) is highly discouraging being contrary to merit and promotion policy. Such appointments lead to undue benefits and hence should be reviewed in the interest of merit and justice. Chief Secretary to ensure that OPS arrangements to be undertaken for senior most employee of the cadre, where needed.
7. There should be extensive use of IT for transparency of the system.
8. Finance Department update item rates and notify it on annual basis for all Works Department of the Province.
9. All contractors should be registered with Pakistan Engineering Council and licence be issued subject to fulfillment of requirement.
10. A refresher course for officers/officials on Training on Provincial Procurement Rules (KP-PPRA Rules) be arranged for better orientation about procurement rules.
11. Security measures be taken for safety of data by IT Department and Data on Websites be updated on regular basis.
12. Divisional Account Officer (DAO) during pre-audit will be responsible for checking of necessary documents as per codal formalities. DAO will furnish pre-audit points once and no piecemeal observations be raised, payment be ensured to the contractor as per timelines given in the contract agreement and as per present policy bank guarantee or performance bond to be ensured from a firm/contractor quoting below rates up to 10% to engineering estimate.
13. Permanent computerised online complaints lodging system shall be established in each department, a coordination unit comprising of In charge Chief Minister Complaint Cell and Additional Director NAB KP complaint cell shall be established for mutual assistance and sharing important complaints involving criminal material and monthly review meetings to be held in each Department to analyse the disposal of complaints.
14. Laboratories for basic material tests at divisional level have already been established in C&W Department. Similar arrangements may be made by Irrigation Department and Water quality Laboratories in PHE Department.
15. There should be standardisation of materials and products on the basis of standard specifications already established at provincial level.
The recommendations of Prevention Committee on Public Health Engineering, W&S, Irrigation, Local Government and Rural Development Department, Khyber Pukhtunkhwa will now be sent to Chief Minister Khyber Pukhtunkhwa for implementation.