LAHORE, April 10: The provincial government is establishing an authority to regulate and monitor procurements by its departments to curtail misuse of funds.

“Millions are embezzled every year through procurements by government departments and the proposed authority will check the practice. The corruption in procurements is so rampant that most of the audit paras are related to the procurement-related financial irregularities,” officials informed Dawn on Tuesday.

They said the authority would be established through an ordinance, which awaited approval from the chief minister. They said the ordinance would soon be promulgated.

All government departments buy things directly or through the Services and General Administration Department under pre-Partition procurement manuals. The attached departments seek approval of their parent departments for procurements.

Even though the instruction-based manuals were updated from time to time, their application had never been mandatory leaving room for corruption, officials said.

Officials said the authority would device a policy regarding procurements by all government departments, attached departments and corporations, review the existing system and monitor future procurements.

Since it would be created through a law, its policies or rules or regulations would be binding for all government departments and bodies. The authority will introduce a uniformed pattern for procurements, which will arrest corruption by eliminating discretions, according to officials.

It will also save government officials from appearing before inquiry committees over audit objections.

Under the present system, many government officials are appearing before inquiry committees over procurement issues or they have to pay penalties even after their retirement.

Officials said the authority would issue details for every item to be bought by government departments.

Presently, departments like law, which has no direct public-dealing buys stationery and other items worth thousands every month and departments like forest and police buy items worth millions every month. —Intikhab Hanif