ISLAMABAD: The Senate Standing Committee on Cabinet Secretariat on Wednesday while taking up the Toshakhana (Management and Regulation) Bill, 2022 directed the Cabinet Division additional secretary to give final briefing on the bill, otherwise the committee will pass the bill in next meeting.
The committee met here with Senator Rana Maqbool Ahmad in the chair.
The committee was informed that the proposed Toshakhana Bill was considered by Cabinet Committee for Disposal of Legislative Cases (CCLC) on April 6, where the committee members suggested some changes in the bill.
It was apprised that after incorporation of these changes by the Law Division, the draft bill shall be presented to the cabinet for seeking approval to place it before the Parliament.
The new Toshakhana Procedure for Acceptance and Disposal of Gifts, 2023 was also tabled in the committee which included that Cabinet Division will get the value of the gifts assessed from government sector experts in FBR. The Cabinet Division will also get the value of gifts assessed by the private appraisers of government approved panel.
The weapons will be assessed by experts of Pakistan Ordinance Factories Wah instead of FBR. The private appraisers will be paid 5 pc of the evaluation cost of each gift or Rs5,000 whichever is less.
It was also included that gifts exceeding monetary limit up to $300 shall straight away become state / Toshakhana property to be deposited and disposed of according to Tosha khana procedure.
This exemption shall, however, not be available in case of antiques and gifts of intrinsic historical value. Gifts which cannot be retained, donated or displayed shall be disposed of by periodical sales to general public, to be arranged by the Cabinet Division.
Senator Rana Maqbool Ahmad said that according to the bill drafted no one will be allowed to take free gifts from the government treasury. Senator Rukhsana Zuberi was of the view that expensive gifts should not be received from foreign countries which allows us further to do corruption and illegal acts.
The matter was deferred for finality in the next meeting with the direction of the chair that no further delays on the subject matter should be made and all recommendations on the Toshakhana Bill are directed to be submitted to the Standing Committee after Eid.
Briefing by the Chairman Naya Pakistan Housing and Development Authority (NAPHDA) on the working and performance of the authority was also taken up. It was briefed that around 2 million people applied for Naya Pakistan Housing Scheme, 9 26, 288 applicants were successful in Naya Pakistan Housing Scheme which approved to construct 168,224 houses. So far 53, 060 houses have been completed, 27 819 houses are under construction.
NAPHDA Chairman Major General (Retd) Amir Aslam Khan briefed the committee.
Detailed presentation by the OGRA Chairman on the incident of LPG cylinders blasts in the country was also taken up.
The chairman committee recommended holding meetings with the ministry of interior and finalizing the amendments in the Pakistan Penal Code of criminal procedure on the substandard manufacturing of LPG cylinders and illegal gas filling.
The OGRA chairman also briefed the committee on the enforcement activities in LPG supply chain.
Published in Dawn, April 13th, 2023