The Ministry of Finance and Cabinet Division on Wednesday conceded before the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) that bureaucracy has been misusing magnetisation of transport policy as they continue to use vehicles from the general pool of ministries and draw the magnetisation allowance.
Secretary Finance Abdul Wajid Rana and Secretary Cabinet Division Nargis Sethi admitted their inability to implement magnetisation of transport policy to eliminate misuse of vehicles and curtail excessive and wasteful expenditures on petrol, maintenance of vehicles.
Both Secretaries agreed that the policy had too many loopholes. Secretary Cabinet Division Nargis Sethi maintained that magnetisation of the transport policy was part of government efforts to bring about reform in the public sector. The policy introduced through "Finance Bill" for 2011-12 offered an option to grade 20 and above civil servants to purchase allotted cars at depreciated price.
The fuel, repair and maintenance and other expenditures would be the responsibility of civil servants for which he/she would be entitled magnetisation of transport allowance ranging from Rs 95,910 to Rs 65,960 depending on his or her grade. The meeting, however, was informed that majority of the bureaucrats have miscued the scheme as they continued to use official vehicles from general pool after purchasing at relatively lower price vehicles allotted to them.
An official of the Cabinet Division requested the Auditor-General of Pakistan to conduct a special audit of general pool to ascertain the 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.
Secretary Finance Rana Abdul Wajid was unable to defend the Ministry of Finance to ensure monthly compliance report by Principle Account Officer (PAOs) of ministries and division. He said that it was mandatory for PAOs of each ministry and division to submit monthly report about implementation of the policy in their respective department.
When the PAC committee repeatedly asked about the submission of monthly report by ministries and divisions, the Secretary Finance reluctantly said that no single PAO from any ministry or division submitted monthly implementation report over the past six months. The secretaries for Finance and Cabinet Divisions said that despite teething problems, the magnetisation of the transport policy was a good beginning that would enable the government in the next few years to save a great amount of money.