ISLAMABAD, June 20: Amid allegations of violations and misuse of transport monetisation policy introduced by the government last year, the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) of the National Assembly on Wednesday appointed a three-member committee of federal secretaries to submit a detailed report to conclude if the policy should be discontinued.
Interestingly, three federal secretaries who would probe the misuse of general pool of official cars have also failed to comply with rules that required them to certify a monthly compliance report about the transport monetisation policy.
As members of the Public Accounts Committee seemed unanimous in criticising the monetising policy because of its gross violations, Secretary of Finance Abdul Wajid Rana whose ministry spearheaded the transport monetisation policy as part of the Finance Bill 2011-12 struggled to explain why the Ministry of Finance failed to ensure monthly compliance reports by principal account officers of ministries and divisions.
When repeatedly asked by parliamentarians, Mr Rana reluctantly confirmed that not a single principal account officer from any ministry, division or department had, so far, submitted monthly implementation report during the last six months.
He also confirmed that all principal account officers were required under the rules to submit monthly reports on implementation of the policy in their respective ministries and divisions.
The PAC, led by Nadeem Afzal Gondal, finally formed a committee, comprising secretaries of finance, Cabinet Division and Establishment Division to explain why the monetisation of transport policy should be continued.
This came when these three secretaries failed to defend misuse of monetisation policy.
Mr Gondal said the policy seemed a total failure as bureaucracy continued using vehicles purchased in the name of development projects and departments even after availing the policy.
He said the committee would be left with no option but to order its winding up if secretaries failed to provide personal guarantees.
The committee directed the three secretaries to fix responsibility on PAOs of ministries and divisions for failing to submit monthly reports about misuse of official vehicles and submit a report within two weeks.
He said the secretaries committee would have to submit in writing with considerable savings to prove that monetisation policy should be continued.
The secretaries committee was also asked to submit a comparative statement of expenditure on transportation during January-June 2011 and after implementation of new policy from January-June 2012 as well as details of savings.
The PAC directed the Cabinet Division to serve displeasure notices on behalf of the Public Accounts Committee for not submitting monthly reports even though their departments violated the rules.
Secretary of Finance Abdul Wajid Rana and Secretary Cabinet Division Nargis Sethi admitted their inability to implement monetisation of transport policy to eliminate misuse of vehicles and curtail excessive and wasteful expenditures on petrol, maintenance of vehicles as well as wear and tear.
Both Finance and Cabinet Division Secretaries said the policy could not be effectively implemented and was massively misused by the top bureaucracy due to loopholes.
Secretary Cabinet Sethi said the monetisation was part of government plans to reform the public sector and allowed officers in grade 20 and above to avail Rs65,000 per month to Rs96,000 per month for surrendering official cars.
The scheme also offered these officers to purchase official cars at depreciated prices. However, a majority of officers availed the facility and yet used cars from the general pool.
An official of the Cabinet Division requested the Auditor General of Pakistan to conduct special audit of general pool to ascertain level of misuse of the policy by each ministry and division.
The PAC meeting was also informed that various ministries have not surrendered their vehicles.
Secretaries of finance and cabinet pleaded that despite teething problems; the monetisation policy was a good beginning and should be built upon through improvements to secure savings on account of fuel, repair and maintenance.