The Pakistan Post has moved a summary about regulating the courier services, which are fleecing consumers without any check and balance, Secretary In-charge Pakistan Post Shahid Tarrar informed the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) on Thursday. The committee headed by Dr Azra Fazal Pechuho examined the audit report of Ministry of Communications for 2010-11. Secretary In-charge presented the affairs of Pakistan Post.
Responding to a question of a Committee member, he informed that a summary has been under consideration of the government to allow the Pakistan Post act as regulator of courier services. Commenting on an audit objection regarding irregular payment of honorarium and cash rewards of Rs 73 million, he asked the committee to allow restarting of allowances and incentives to employees of Pakistan Post, which will encourage them to improve the efficiency of the department.
Secretary in-charge Pakistan post said that the earning on collection of utility bills were Rs 500 million. Their honorarium per bill was Rs 2. After suspension of the cash reward the collection reduced 40 percent. He further said that Pakistan Post Act had become outdated and needed to be revamped. Talking about the service charges of the Post on saving accounts, he said the benchmark that the Pakistan Post is running in losses would be removed. The Committee directed the Ministry of Finance to rationalise the services charged and not to write in their accounts that Pakistan Post is in losses.
Secretary explained that Ministry of Finance is giving 0.5 percent on services charges on operating the national saving accounts on behalf of the government. The total expenditure of the post is 2.0 percent. The Ministry of Finance counted 1.5 percent as losses of Pakistan Post at the time of book adjustment. "This discrepancy is showing a loss of Rs 3 billion to Pakistan Post," he added. The committee also directed the secretary to submit comprehensive plans for the revival and up-gradation of Pakistan Post. Earlier, the secretary informed the committee that he had constituted a committee of experts to formulate a short-term and comprehensive strategy for up-gradation of the Pakistan Post.
Since 1947, the secretary said that a loss of Rs 1.6 billion has been written in the accounts of the Pakistan Post. They are competent enough, therefore handling Rs 3.5 million cash daily, he added. The audit officials pointed out that the Pakistan Post placed orders of Rs 10.5 million for printing of revenue documents from Pakistan Post Foundation, which was not authorised.
The secretary said the matter of printing postage stamps, revenue stamps, envelopes, postcards and wrappers for newspapers and packets from private firm was discussed again and again on various parliamentary committees. He said Pakistan Security Printing Corporation is not in a position to print revenue documents in time as they have no printing machines required for printing of revenue documents. The committee directed Printing Corporation to make necessary arrangements in this respect.
The committee took notice of misappropriation in disbursement of Zakat worth Rs 15.9 million. Audit officials informed the committee that in two sub-offices of Sibi Division ie, Dera Murad Jamali and Dera Allah Yar an amount of Rs 15. 9 million was misappropriated in disbursement of Zakat during 2005-06. The cheques of Zakat were received from Chairman Local Zakat Committees for disbursement to the beneficiaries but the postmasters deposited these in unauthorised accounts. The amount was fraudulently withdrawn and misappropriated by the postmasters in connivance with the Chairmen, Local Zakat Committees. The committee referred the case to FIA for action against the accused.
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