The Accountant General of Pakistan Revenue (AGPR) Hafiz Muhammad Tahir admitted that there was corruption in his department and shared strategy to improve AGPR office functions by introducing bills tracking system, training and prompt action against the corrupt elements in the office.
He told Senate Standing Committee on Finance here on Wednesday that he was taking action against the corrupt elements in the office of Accountant General of Pakistan Revenue. Tracking of billing has also been started in the organisation through a bill monitoring system. Disciplinary proceedings have also been initiated against officers involved in corruption, he added.
Accountant General of Pakistan said that steps were being taken to bring transparency in the affairs of the AGPR. He insisted that written complaints be addressed to the AGPR in specific cases of corruption. However, he admitted that there was corruption in his organization.
He said that the AGPR had started tracking of billing system to monitor the clearance of cheques. He has placed a mechanism in the organization that two times rejected bill would be referred to the AGPR and he would personally see the reasons behind rejection of the bill, he added.
The members of the Senate Standing Committee showed serious reservations over the reports that AGPR officials do not release funds without taking 'commission' from the people. The committee members were shocked that percentage has been fixed at the AGPR for clearance of cheques. Without payment of commission, cheques are not cleared, a committee member alleged.
Senator Fateh Mohammad Hassani of Pakistan People's Party (PPP) alleged that the AGPR did not clear bills without taking fix percentage of commission. He further said that people failed to receive funds for salary or projects without giving kickbacks to the officials of AGPR. PML-Q Senator Kamil Ali Agha alleged that officials of the AGPR had enhanced the commission to two percent from one percent. He asked the AGPR to present details of bills, which had been cleared in last five years.
Speaking on the occasion, Senator Ilyas Bilour of ANP accused that the officials in the said organisation from top to bottom were involved in corruption. He alleged that some AGPR officials had even asked his son for bribe for doing his work. Senator Ayesha Raza of PML-N said that the AGPR should take the complaints seriously and a clear message should be given from top to bottom that corruption would not be tolerated. Chairman of the Committee said that Auditor General of Pakistan Rana Asad Amin had also asked the AGPR to remove the corrupt mafia from the department.
"If the bills are rejected on the basis of objection, the AGPR has to see whether the objections are valid or not," he urged. Hafiz Mohammad Tahir requested the committee members to give the names of those officials who ask for the commission so he can take action against them. "I had already started taking action against corrupt elements in AGPR," he added.
He shared the details of bills cleared by AGPR during 2014-2015. AGPR had approved 244,405 bills out of received 347,445 bills. However, 95,959 bills were rejected during this period. He informed that 5,959 bills have been cleared on the same day. A total of 3,197 bills have been passed and 2,762 have been rejected. When the committee asked about the institutions whose bills have been cleared on same day, AGPR stated that these were prestigious government organisations.
He briefed the committee that functions of the AGPR has been prescribed under the directions of Manual of Accounting Principles 5.8 (Annex-VI). The Accountant-General is the head of office of audit and accounts, or of accounts. It includes Accountant-General of Pakistan Revenues, Provincial Accountants-General, District Accounts Offices and Treasury Offices. For all entities other than entities specified in Schedule 1 & 2 of Manual of Accounting Principles the Accountant-General is responsible for keeping the accounting records of their transactions, performing the pre-audit (validation) function on payments, preparation and submission of civil accounts to the Federal and Provincial Governments in the manner specified by the Auditor-General, preparation and submission of annual accounts of the Federal and Provincial Government to the Comptroller-General and preparation of bank reconciliation.
He said that Article 79 of the Constitution 1973 stated that "The custody of the Federal Consolidated Fund, the payment of moneys into that Fund, the withdrawal of moneys therefrom, the custody of other moneys received by or on behalf of the Federal Government, their payment into, and withdrawal from, the Public Account of the Federation, and all matters connected with or ancillary to the matters aforesaid shall be regulated by Act of [Majlis-e-Shoora (Parliament) or, until provision in that behalf is so made, by rules made by the President." In the instant case, the President of Pakistan has passed the CGA Ordinance, 2001 wherein Section 5 is regarding the functions of Controller General of Accounts.
The S.No (b) of the same states: "To authorise payment and withdrawal from Consolidated Fund and Public Account of the Federal and Provincial Governments against approved budgetary provisions after pre-audited checks as the Auditor-General may, from time to time, prescribe;" These functions/responsibilities are discharged by the Accountant General on behalf of the CGA.
The Auditor General of Pakistan in the light of directions contained in the CGA Ordinance section 5(b) prescribed the Accounting Policies and Procedures Manual (APPM). The direction No 4.2.8, 4.5.5 & 4.5.6 prescribed the procedure for Accounts offices including The Accountant General Pakistan Revenues (AGPR) regarding authorisation of payments, endorsement or rejection of the cases of Government Departments with reference to Article 79 of the Constitution of Islamic Republic of Pakistan 1973.
The AGPR office process, authorize or reject the claims in the light of powers given under the Article 79 of Constitution of Islamic Republic of Pakistan 1973, CGA Ordinance 5 (b) and in the light of above mentioned directions of APPM. The same procedure has been adopted during the processing of claims emanating from the National Assembly and Senate Secretariat of Pakistan. There is no separate procedure mentioned for the claims of Senate Secretariat and National Assembly in above mentioned rules and procedures. Hence, the claims of both the superior offices are processed under the above prescribed rules and procedures. As far as the decisions of Finance Committee of Senate & National Assembly are concerned, AGPR follows/endorses all such decisions as are made under the prescribed rules and procedures.
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