THE under-construction mass transport project in Karachi, the Green Line Bus Rapid Transit System, already beset with delays, has run into more snags. It recently emerged that the Spanish firm, Grupsa, which is lending its technical support and services for the project, has directly complained to Pakistan’s anti-corruption and investigation agencies about fraud being committed in its name.

The firm has accused one of the local contractors, through whom Grupsa is supplying automated platform screen doors, of billing the federal government over 2.7m euros (Rs502m) for the same whereas the issued invoice was for a little over 0.5m euros. Grupsa is alleging that MGH, the Pakistani contractor, “prepared a false/forged/fabricated document/invoice” to achieve its objective. In the process, it “injured the name and goodwill of Grupsa as well as [caused] a huge loss to the exchequer”.

Read: Five years on, no sign of Green Line BRTS project’s completion

Moreover, it has sought permission for its team to be allowed to visit the site, because of reports that substandard equipment had also been installed in its name. Evidently the Spanish firm, considered one of the pioneers of automated equipment, tried approaching diplomatic channels for eight months to get someone in Pakistan’s officialdom to take notice, but to no avail.

These are serious allegations, and it reflects poorly on the authorities that they have been so unresponsive to a complaint by a renowned international firm, whose sole interest — given it has already received payment — is to prevent harm to its reputation. The inaction reflects deep malaise in systems of accountability here and could discourage other reputable firms from collaborating on mega projects in Pakistan. For its part, the local contractor, MGH, has issued a statement to say that the company has taken appropriate action in a court of law against the individual involved. The matter must be resolved to the satisfaction of Grupsa and fulfil the demands of accountability. We require the assistance of global firms to develop our infrastructure, and what Karachi desperately needs more than anything else is a mass transit system.

Published in Dawn, July 5th, 2021