Unauthorised vehicles bought from pilgrim fund

[LRE]

Unauthorised vehicles bought from pilgrim fund

* Ministry of Foreign Affairs audit report reveals Rs 6.5 million expenses incurred for buying vehicles, computers

By Tahir Niaz

ISLAMABAD: The Haj Jeddah director general incurred expenditure of Rs 6.5 million out of the Pilgrims Welfare Fund (PWF) in order to purchase four luxury vehicles for former religious affairs minister Ejazul Haq and other officers without obtaining a no objection certificate (NOC) from the prime minister or calling open tenders.

The other officers included the Haj Jeddah director general, Haj Jeddah/Makkah director and Haj Madinah deputy director.

Unauthorised manner: According to an udit report of the accounts of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for the year 2006-07, these vehicles were exclusively under the use of the above officers and thus expenditure out of the PWF was irregular. Similarly, as per the Public Procurement Rules 2004, any purchase exceeding Rs 100,000 may only be made after calling open tenders, the audit further observed. Further, an NOC from the prime minister of Pakistan is required.

The Haj Jeddah DG also spent Rs 311,230 out of the PWF on computers and printers in an unauthorised manner.

The department stated that open tenders were not required as the vehicles were purchased directly from the authorised dealers of General Motor Company (GMC) in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA). It held that since the vehicles were purchased out of the fund an NOC was not required. It further replied that calling for open tenders for purchasing computers was not feasible in KSA and based upon the exceptional provision of Public Procurement Regularity Authority (PPRA), 2004.

The Departmental Audit Committee asked the ministry, in its meeting held on April 10, 2008, to provide clarification from the Law, Justice and Human Rights Division, endorsed by the Finance Division, indicating therein that the vehicles, computers and printers were purchased from PWF, therefore general financial rules would not be applicable.

However, the ministry did not provide any clarification in this regard until the finalisation of the audit report. It did not provide any evidence that the luxury vehicles were purchased from an authorised dealer in KSA, the audit report further said. It recommended that the irregularity might be got condoned by the competent authority.

http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp...009_pg7_16