KARACHI, Oct 23: For a change, the leader of opposition in Sindh Assembly Nisar Khurho and Senior Minister of Finance Syed Sardar Ahmad made a unanimous plea for provincialization of accounts and public finance, formation of a new National Finance Commission and decentralization of many federal functions.

They were speaking at a seminar, organized by the Sindh Finance Department in order to discuss a World Bank report on provincial financial accountability assessment.

Shazado Sheikh, who represented Auditor General in the seminar, pleaded for giving a serious look to the centralized accounting systems of developed countries like the USA and the UK, and the system functioning in neighbouring India where recentralization in accounting was adopted. Shazado Sheikh had been former finance secretary and additional chief secretary of planning and development in Sindh before he took up the present assignment in Islamabad.

Mr Sheikh reminded the audience that there had been no Public Accounts Committee (PAC) in Sindh for the last 17 years. He said that there had been no legislature scrutiny of the public finance in the province for the last 17 years.

“There have been more than one interruptions in the democratic and political process of the country since independence,” retorted Nisar Khurho to justify the absence of PAC in the last 17 years. He said the last PAC was formed three years ago and it functioned very well before the House was prematurely dissolved.

He reminded the participants of the seminar that the NFC had expired constitutional tenure three years ago and the federal government was giving no indications to constitute a new NFC.

Syed Sardar Ahmad informed the participants that Sindh Assembly had nominated many house committees including a PAC. Its leader would be nominated in the next session, he added.

The minister, who chaired the seminar, said that Sindh Assembly had unanimously passed the resolution thrice to demand formation of a new National Finance Commission. He conceded that the Provincial Finance Commission (PFC) had delayed its final award of distribution of resources between provincial and district governments. “We delayed the award in anticipation that the NFC would be formed and give its award,” he said and explained that the PFC would be in a better position to make a correct assessment of resources availability.

Nevertheless, the PFC in Sindh gave an interim award that was operational now. A new PFC had also been formed, he added.

Ismaili B. Casey of the World Bank elaborated on the contents of the report and expressed hope that it would be useful in ensuring good governance, transparency, internal and external audit.

The provincial planning and development minister, Shoaib Bokhari; the adviser to chief minister on information, Salahuddin Haider; and finance secretary Israr Malik also spoke at the seminar.

A paper, incorporating conclusions and recommendations of the seminar, was distributed by the officials. It elaborated on the concept and framework of accountability, stressed on encompassing reporting results in the concept of accountability and clear delegation of authority. It recommended that a minister’s responsibility should be clearly defined. Accountability framework should protect the honest government official, empower public servants and define their limits. Moreover, it was suggested that the framework should define the accountability of non-government and private organizations.

It was recommended that a reporting framework of the government should be developed and there should be a reporting time table for the Auditor General. The Public Account Committee should also follow a time table to complete the examination of Auditor General’s reports on the current year basis. The PAC should seek help from experts and should have its own secretariat. It was further suggested that the PAC directive should be made binding on the executive.