PESHAWAR, Jan 2: The NWFP government has formulated the Conduct of Business Rules for the provincial finance commission (PFC). A special committee headed by NWFP’s former chief secretary NWFP, Saeedullah Jan, who is also one of members of the PFC, has approved the draft rules entitiled NWFP Finance Commission (Conduct of Business) Rules, 2007, officials sources told Dawn here on Wednesday.

The PFC’s job is to regulate financial affairs including distribution of resources between province and districts.

The draft rules, duly vetted from the Law Department, were earlier presented at a PFC meeting held on April 21, 2007; however the draft was deferred because the commission wanted to review the similar rules prepared by other provinces.

The draft would be presented at the PFC meeting to be held on Jan 4, to bring it into force, the officials explained.

According to the officials, all the three provincial governments were consulted, but none of them had framed these rules so far, following which the PFC in its meeting held on Dec 18, 2007 constituted the aforementioned committee for finalising these rules.

Under the draft rules, the secretariat of the PFC would be based in Peshawar, but the chairman may summon the meeting of the commission at any other place in the province.

The secretariat would implement and monitor the decisions of the commission, all the functions and duties prescribed under NWFP Local Government Ordinance (LGO-2001).

The secretariat would have annual budget for the commission, which would be prepared separately as part of the budget estimates of the finance department.

The government may allocate special funds for undertaking studies, analysis and logistic support to the commission.

The establishment and operations of the proposed secretariat would cost Rs12,420 million to the provincial kitty on yearly basis, as the officials informed that in total 50 vacancies from grade 2-19 have to be created.

The funds, as per the draft rules, provided by government in the annual budget of the commission would be placed at the disposal of the secretary of the commission, who would be the principal accounting officer in relation to the funds.