ISLAMABAD: The Sub-Committee of Public Account Committee (PAC) directed the Ministry of Commerce (MoC) to rectify their audit-related affairs and submit a report within a fortnight.
A meeting of the committee, chaired by convener Syed Naveed Qamar, was held on Thursday and reviewed the audit paras of the ministry for 2003-04.
Naveed said the audits of ministry should be ensured in collaboration with auditor general’s office.
Naveed Qamar castigated Commerce Secretary Arbab Shahzad for what he said was secretary’s unsatisfactory preparations for the PAC meeting.
Commerce Secretary Arbab Shahzad said the auditor general’s office has not been informed about the audit objections of Pakistan Tobacco Board. Naveed Qamar said there is no room for such objections after the receipt of audit paras.
Audit officials said that the Pakistan Tobacco Board was established in 1958. In 2002-03 its income was Rs 60.75 million and during 2003-04 its income was Rs 90.61 million. The income of the board has been increased by 42.47 percent this year. Whereas, the income of the forms of the PTB had decreased by 13.67 percent in 2002-03 and 39.15 percent during 2003-04.
The Pakistan Tobacco Board has earned Rs 130.14 million in 2009-10 and Rs 110.75 million during 2008-09.
Total profit of the board in June 2010 was Rs 810.43 million. The PTB did not pay federal government from its profit. Audit official submitted before the PAC to order PTB to pay taxes from their profit.
Mian Abdul Mannan expressed dissatisfaction over the declared income of Pakistan Tobacco Board and said the ministry officials should have complete information about their ministry. The income of PTB was far more than the quoted. PTB has profitable forms in Mardan, Okara and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
The committee directed Indus River System Authority (IRSA) to prepare service rules. The committee rejected the point of view of IRSA and declared that only regulations were not enough and service rules should be properly prepared.
Committee was told that IRSA had submitted service rules for employeesto ministry of water and power in 2005. The ministry has sent the rules to establishment division, which ordered in July 2006 that IRSA is authorized to frame its rules as per IRSA Act. The committee directed IRSA to finalise their service rules as soon as possible.
MNAs Mian Abdul Mannan, Junaid Anwaar Chaudhry, Dr Darshan and officials of Ministry of Commerce, Water and Power and Auditor General attended the meeting.
