Less foreign visits of President saved Rs142.7m : PAC told

Islamabad: The Public Accounts Committee on Tuesday was informed that saving of Rs142.797 million was made due to less foreign tours of President Mamnoon Hussain as last year he paid only three official foreign visits to the United Kingdom, Turkey and China and for Ummrah.

While the saving of Rs 23.67 million was made due to less visits of the Prime Minister as well the size of the delegation was reduced as per existing policy of the government. The PAC held its meeting on Tuesday with the chair of Syed Naveed Qamar, who chaired the meeting in the absence of chairman PAC Syed Khursheed Shah in which audit paras relating to Ministry of Foreign Affairs for the financial year 2015-16 and Ministry of Interior for the financial year 2016-17 were examined.

While examining the appropriation accounts of the Foreign Ministry, the issue of foreign visits of President and the Prime Minister come under discussion and Secretary Foreign Affairs Tehmina Janjua told the committee that the considerable amount of Rs142.797 million was saved due to less foreign visits of the President as he only made three foreign visits to the United Kingdom, Turkey and for performing Ummrah. Syed Naveed Qamar remarked in a lighter tone that, “When you will not send him on foreign official visit then there would be a saving.”

While examining the audit paras related to Interior Ministry, the department of the Auditor General of Pakistan on Tuesday revealed before the Public Accounts Committee that the National Data Registration Authority sustained a loss of Rs73.335 million due to procurement of Arms License booklets at higher rates.

The Audit officials told the PAC that the management instead of placing the purchase order to the lowest bidder started technical evaluation in violation of PP rules and demanded the sample of Arms License booklets from the bidders and rejected the bids with Nadra machines/printers.

The audit officials told the committee that the sample of M/s Paradise having rates of Rs144.73 per booklet was accepted by the production department but tender was scraped, despite the fact that M/s Pakistan Post Foundation assured to comply with all requirements/standards of material to be supplied to Nadra.

The Nadra chairman said it was technical mistake and inquiry was made but no official was found directly involved in loss/delay but the warning were issued to the officials.

The PAC was not satisfied with only giving the warning to the officials and sent back the matter to the Departmental Accounting Committee with a direction to impose the penalties on the officials who made the technical mistakes.

While briefing the on government policy on banning automatic weapons, Secretary Interior Arshad Mirza told the committee that there was a complete ban on the automatic weapons in the country.

He told the committee that the license of automatic weapons converted into semi-automatic weapons through licensed arms dealers and verified by the district police office and the last date has been extended till January 31, 2018.

While examining another audit para, the audit officials revealed to the PAC that the Nadra has made a payment of Rs61.732 million excess to its employees in shape of bonus in violation of rules.

The Audit officials told the committee that during audit of Nadra, for the year 2014-15, it was observed that Nadra Technologies Limited (NTL) management paid an amount of Rs70.982 million as bonus to employees while the average monthly salary of employees was Rs9.150 million (Annual salary of Rs109.9222 million/12 months) and the management was to pay bonus up to Rs9.160 million whereas, management paid a sum of Rs70.892 million resulted into excess bonus of Rs61.732 million to Nadra Technologies Limited employees in violation of rules.

Examining another audit para, the audit officials told the Public Accounts Committee was informed that a housing project for Sindh Rangers was conceived with a total cost of Rs 610 million but with a delay of 10-years its PC-1 was approved with a cost of Rs 2.87 billion in the year 2015.

The audit officials told the committee that the project was approved in the year 2005 and this project was supposed to be completed in 2009 but due to delay of 10-years the project cost raise to Rs2.87 billion.

The Interior Ministry officials told the committee that the delay was caused due to non-releasing of the funds of the project on time. In the last meeting, the PA formed the sub-committee and it has yet to present its report on this issue which is not finalised so the committee deferred the matter.