Overseas Pakistanis Division has been exploring possibilities of running their schools under Public-Private Partnership mode, as Rs 104 million is being paid as subsidy to Overseas Pakistanis Foundation annually. This was disclosed in the meeting of National Assembly's Public Accounts Committee (PAC) on Wednesday.
Secretary Overseas Division Nadeem Ashraf, however, negated the impression that Foundation had no plan to privatise OPF schools. The committee directed the secretary to provide them details of various incomplete housing schemes run by the Division for overseas Pakistanis. Earlier, Auditor General of Pakistan (AGP) informed the parliamentarians that the delay in completion of these OPF housing schemes enhanced the cost of the project. The expenditure reached Rs 3 billion, but revenue did not exceed Rs 2 billion.
The committee grilled the officials of OPF for abandoning a housing scheme, which was initiated in the outskirts of Faisalabad in 1990. Following the directive of Board of Directors of OPF in 2002, the scheme was abandoned. OPF so far refunded and paid Rs 10.2 million to 185 allottees out of 227. The refund to the remaining allottees amounting to Rs 3.107 million was outstanding due to lack of response from them. Member of the committee, Sardar Ayaz Sadiq suggested the officials of OPF to seek help from Nadra to reach those who did not receive their refunds.
The committee also reviewed the audit observations of the Ministry of Science and Technology for the year 2004-05 and 2006-07. Secretary Science and Technology Akhlaq Ahmad Tarar said that federal government's spending on promotion of scientific research and development was 0.61 percent of the GDP, which was lowest in the region.
He explained that regional countries have allocated 2 percent of their GDP for scientific research. China is spending 4 percent, whereas other developing countries were even spending up to 6 percent of the GDP. Member of the Committee Riaz Fathyana said the Ministry must enhance its capacity building. This was shown in previous year's audit report that ministry had surrendered Rs 740 million as it could not utilise the amount.
He suggested the committee to recommend the Higher Education Commission (HEC) to formulate an educational policy for those students whose homes were affected in war against terrorism including Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) and provide them higher education facilities free of cost.
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