Islamabad:
The subcommittee of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) was informed on Tuesday of Financial Discrepancies within the Federal Public Services Commission (FPSC), since it was learned that federal revenues worth 18,965 million rupees are still not reconciled.
The subcommittee, chaired by the MNA Tariq Fazal Chaudhry, ordered that a meeting of the Departmental Accounts Committee (DAC) be held again to solve the problem.
According to audit officials, irregularities were first indicated in the 2005-06 audit report, which indicated inconsistencies in the collection of exam rates during 2004-05.
The audit authorities declared that, although the FPSC had charged the exam rates of the candidates, the income had not reconciled with the national treasure.
“The FPSC deposited the exam fees but did not obtain verification from the Treasury Department,” the audit team reported, adding that 18.9 million rupees in revenue could not reconcile with the Federal Treasury Office, a clear violation of government regulations.
An informative session revealed that, although conversations had been held between the National Bank of Pakistan (NBP) and the FPSC, and despite the prolonged consultations between the Finance Division, the Division of Establishments and the NBP, the issue remained unresolved.
The representatives of the FPSC explained that it was practically impossible to reconcile the receipts of thousands of bank branches and that the records of commissions deposits of 20 years were no longer available. They added that “the problems faced at that time have already been addressed.”
The Subcommittee ordered the interested departments to convene another DAC meeting to resolve the matter and present a progress report.
During the session, the audit paragraphs related to the Ministry of Justice were also reviewed, including objections on illegal appointments and the release of 100 million rupees to lawyers in 2007-2008.
The legal secretary clarified that the amount was delivered to the Bar Association of the Supreme Court (SCBA) for its benevolent fund, stating that all legal and administrative requirements had been met. “There was nothing illegal in the payment; it was properly processed through the right channels,” he said.
However, a representative of the Ministry of Finance informed the committee that the case had been sent to them the day before and promised to examine it in detail.
President Tariq Fazal Chaudhry expressed concern about the weak representation of the Finance Division in PAC procedures and announced that a letter would be written to the Secretary of Finance to ensure that competent officials attend future meetings.
The Committee ordered the Ministry of Justice to present a written response on the audit paragraph, after which the matter was resolved.
