August 13, 2006	Sunday	Rajab 17, 1427

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PESHAWAR, Aug 12: A tug-of-war is continuing between political agents and executive officers of the finance and planning departments in seven agencies of the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (Fata) over delegation of powers.

Sources said that political agents had refused to transfer powers to the heads of the agency finance and planning departments outlined in the draft rules of business by the Governor’s Secretariat Fata.

“Political agents have refused to share official accounts with the executive officers,” said an official.

Fata would get Rs10 billion for carrying out development schemes during the 2006-07 financial year and the continuing confrontation might hamper prompt utilisation of funds, according to sources.

“The old system under which Political Agents used to manage funds lacked transparency and that is why the government decided to change the system to effectively utilise development funds,” said an official source.

The NWFP Governor’s Secretariat had established finance and planning departments at the agency level in 2005 for financial management to instil transparency and streamline local tax collection and expenditures. The department concerned will release funds to all the line departments at the agency level.

Under the rules, the executive officers would head the finance and planning department in each agency and its main functions were to examine, distribute and monitor agency’s budget, preparation of the work plan for expenditures, and proper maintenance of accounts.

The departments would also prepare working papers for the agency development sub-committee, regularly monitor development projects and formulation of planning at the agency level.

Sources said that after introduction of finance and planning departments, money generated from various heads would be deposited in a single account which has been designated as the Agency Development Fund (ADF) account.

They said that the political agent would operate the account with the executive officer as the signatory. The concerned department would make budget proposal for expenditures from the fund in consultation with the respective political agent. The political agent’s office would utilise the ADF with the consultation of the additional secretary planning and development, Fata secretariat.

However, respective political agents had yet to open joint accounts at the agency level, said an official.

“PAs don’t share budgetary affairs with the executive officers and they are sitting idle in offices, just drawing salaries,” he said.

Sources said that the NWFP Governor’s Secretariat Fata, now declared as the Civil Secretariat, had appointed executive officers only in three agencies — Khyber, Bajaur and North Waziristan. In the other four agencies, only planning officers had been recruited.

The finance and planning departments were running short of the the required staff, accommodation and logistics facilities, which affected their performance. In some of the agencies, the staff had been appointed on contract basis, which is extended after every two to three months.

No official of the Civil Secretariat (Fata) was available for comments.