Committee formed to monitor local govts: Law to curb dirty money
By Ahmed Hassan
ISLAMABAD, June 29: The federal cabinet on Wednesday decided to appoint a six-member subcommittee to consider accountability of elected representatives of local governments, as demanded by a majority of the treasury MPs, including some federal ministers.
The sub-committee will be headed by the prime minister.
The cabinet meeting chaired by Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz decided that the sub-committee would review the situation in light of the demand made by treasury MPs to complete the audit of all districts and tehsils and then conduct the accountability of nazims involved in irregularities.
The cabinet also approved the draft bill of the Anti-Money Laundering Act 2005 to curb the menace of money-laundering in the country. The draft will be placed before parliament for approval before becoming an act.
The bill was prepared in line with the UN General Assembly declaration 1998 calling upon member states to take special measures against money laundering. All transactions following passage of the said law will be subject to scrutiny of the State Bank and the Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan.
The cabinet directed the ministry of information technology to accelerate the process of automation and make it successful.
It further directed all the ministries to appoint focal persons of joint secretary level to enable them to contact the e-government directorate for computerisation of the respected ministry.
The cabinet also decided that Grade-5 and above government employees would be provided computer training and those employees who show extraordinary skills during training would be rewarded with cash prizes as well as certificates of commendation.
Formation of core group was assigned to minister of state for I.T. Asjad Malhi, so that the process of good governance was accelerated in the national institutions.
The cabinet also approved a national environment policy that provides a broad framework to deal with environment-related issues, including protecting, conserving and restoring Pakistan’s environment as well as improving the quality of life of the people.
The cabinet also approved a memorandum of understanding on managed immigration between Pakistan and the UK, which will soon liberalise its visa regime for Pakistani businessmen, students, private and official visitors and also create employment opportunities for them.
It also approved joint management of the Kidney Centre, Karachi by the Sindh Employees Social Security Institution and the Workers Welfare Board on the same terms and conditions which had been proved for NWFP and Balochistan provinces.
It decided that the governing board of the institute would have at least 50 per cent representation from the private sector.
The cabinet was informed that the Election Commission would announce the local council election schedule on June 30 and reiterated that no one was above accountability.
Treaty of Friendship and Cooperation and good-neighbourly relations between Pakistan and China was also ratified which signifies the special relations between the two countries.
Agreements between Pakistan and Brazil and Pakistan and Azerbaijan aimed at combating production, consumption and elicit drug trafficking was also ratified by the cabinet.
Besides, MoUs between Pakistan and Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan and China, Pakistan and Uzbekistan on cooperation and mutual assistance in customs matters were also ratified.
