USC MD’s post to be advertised for fourth time

ISLAMABAD: The Utility Stores Corporation (USC) continues to be deprived of a regular MD/CEO despite the Supreme Court (SC) directives and three rounds of vacancy advertisement and now post would be advertised for the fourth time.
After the second round of advertisement, Federal Minister of industries and Production Ghulam Murtaza Khan Jatoi called a report in June 2015 from the secretary on the alleged irregularities.
A report of the ministry exclusively available with ‘The News’ revealed that a panel of candidates which was recommended had two overage candidates and the third one had a dubious MBA degree from a non-recognised local institution. The ministry rejected the panel and directed the corporation to re-advertise the post under same eligibility criteria thwarting the chairman’s attempt of removing the age limit of 54 years.
Interestingly, since December 2014, the vacancy has been advertised thrice after spending millions of tax payers’ rupees. Lately, a few have even been shortlisted out of over four dozen applicants, but the matter did not proceed.
When this correspondent contacted the Chairman of USC Board, Jamal Mustafa Siddiqui, he refused even to acknowledge any short-listing and said, “We will advertise it for the fourth time, as we are not getting an appropriate person.” He declined to answer the question whether he tried to remove the age limit while also refusing to answer other queries regarding violation of SECP Rules.
In an earlier letter written to the secretary industries on May 8, 2015, the chairman, in violation of the SECP’s Rules, recommended appointment of a private member of the board as acting MD. The Ministry on May 12, 2015 vide letter No. 3(6)/2015/USC-Admn-III responded, “The board is advised to desist from attempting to appoint a Managing Director and thereby assume the powers of the Competent Authority. Moreover, non-executive independent members cannot run day-to-day affairs of the company.”
Further, in response to a reference sent by the Ministry, the SECP letter CLD/RD/ROC/CG/2004/464 dated 23rd February, 2015 clarified that, “Accordingly, the exercise of such powers shall disqualify him from the appointment to the position of an independent non-executive director, as defined under the Rules.”
Secretary MoIP Arif Azim, when contacted to comment on the ongoing stalemate, said, “The Chairman of the USC board has had frictional relationship with the previous secretaries as well. The main reason is that he is trying to exercise executive powers, which under the SECP Rules, he doesn’t even have. Ministry, being the representative of the Government as shareholder/owner of the USC under the Law, is closely watching his conduct.”
Azim confirmed that the Ministry had rejected the last panel of ineligible candidates. He confirmed that the Chairman proposed to remove the upper age limit, which was not approved as it could have rendered the process non-transparent.