ISLAMABAD: The Auditor General of Pakistan (AGP) has observed that Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) made unauthorised payment of meeting and daily allowances to the members of Board of Governors (BOG) amounting Rs16.386 million.
The AGP in the audit report for the audit year 2023-24 noted that regulation 2 (C) of the Regulation for PCB Board of Governor’s Entitlements states that the BOG Member shall be entitled to payment of following daily allowances when required to travel outside of Lahore on official duty, the chairman shall be entitled to daily allowances as detailed: (a) Domestic Rs10,000 per day (For outstation only), (b) International (Worldwide) US$ 300 with accommodation to be arranged by PCB, (c) International (UK) US$ 400 with accommodation to be arranged by PCB.
Regulation 2(D) of the Regulations for PCB Board of Governor’s Entitlements states that in the event any BOG Member is required to participate in meetings, as member of any PCB Committee, they will be paid a Committee Member Allowance amounting to Rs10,000.
Allowances’ payment: PCB responses to AGP’s audit observations
The PCB paid Meeting and Daily Allowances amounting to Rs11,725,000 @ Rs25,000 and Rs10,000 to the four members of BOG/Management Committee during the financial year 2022-23 as detailed below: Shakil Ahmad Shaikh was paid a total allowances of Rs4,260,000 including Rs2,700,000 as meeting allowance and Rs1,560,000 daily allowance.
Muhammad Haroon Rashid Dar was paid a total of Rs3,505,000 in allowances including Rs2,675,000 meeting allowance and Rs1,030,000 daily allowance, Aizad Sayid was paid a total of Rs3,960,000 in allowance. He was paid meeting and daily allowances for 116 days from 23.01.2023 to 18.06.2023. Najam Sethi was paid Rs4,660,605 in total allowance including Rs2,650,000 meeting allowance and Rs2,010,605 as daily allowance.
Audit observed that only five meeting of the BOG were held on 23.12.2022, 31.12.2022, 13.03.2023, 13.06.2023 and 14.06.2023 during December, 2022 to June, 2023 whereas the above-mentioned members were paid meeting and daily allowances for the entire month of February (28 days), March (31 days), April (30 days) and June (18 days).
Further, Aizad Sayid, Member Management committee from Lahore was paid meeting and daily allowances @Rs25,000 and Rs10,000 respectively. Payment of daily allowances amounting Rs1,060,000 to Aizad Sayid, was also not admissible to local member who did not travel outside Lahore to attend meeting of management committee.
Audit further observed that meeting allowance was claimed @Rs25,000 instead of Rs20,000 resulting over payment of Rs1,655,000 to Shakil Ahmad Shaikh, Muhammad Haroon Rashid Dar and Aizad Sayid. Audit is of the view that payment of meeting and daily allowance over and above the prescribed period and at a higher rate was unauthorised which resulted in the loss of Rs11.725 million to the Board.
The management replied that BOG was replaced with Management Committee with Executive Powers that enhanced the rate of TA/DA.
The AGP observed that that the reply was not accepted because payment was irregular.
Furthermore, TA/DA should not be a source of income. DAC in its meeting held on 18.01.2024 dir4cted to recover the excess amount paid under intimation to Audit. Audit recommended that an inquiry may be conducted for unauthorised payment of meeting and daily allowances and the overpaid sums recovered.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2024