The government has started revising some sections of the Public Procurement Regulatory Authority (PPRA) rules which create hurdles in completion of public sector projects, said secretary finance and chairman PPRA.
While briefing the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) here on Thursday which held under the chairmanship of Rana Tanveer Hussian, Secretary Finance Naveed Kamran, who is also the PPRA chairman, said that the government is set to amend the PPRA rules.
The PAC meeting while discussing and examining the audit paras of Ministry of Defense Production from 2012-2013 settled all the paras despite serious irregularities pointed out by the Auditor General of Pakistan (AGP).
Briefing the participants, the officials of the AGP said that the Pakistan Navy gave a contract of purchasing boats from a Chinese company costing $20 million but later on the contract amount was upward revised from $ 20 million to $21.68 million without fulfilling the legal requirements.
The officials of the Ministry of Defense Production responding to the audit objection stated that the boats cost was increased following installation of sensors and ammunition.
The chairman committee Rana Tanveer Hussian remarked that the para should be settled, while member committee Noor Alam Khan opposed the idea. Member committee Ayaz Sadiq said that it seems that a regular contractor was involved in the matter and therefore, the contractual price was increased by $1.68 million to benefit him.
The officials of the Ministry of Defense Production in response to Sardar Ayaz Sadiq's comments said that it was a matter of proprietary rights and no benefit was passed on to any person.
Ayaz Sadiq said that during tendering process any negotiation to review prices of required items is against the set rules and regulations, adding that items under proprietary rights are also purchased after issuing tender. Ayaz sadiq while opposing the idea of settling the para said that he will give dissenting note on the matter to which chairman committee said that no dissenting note is required.
Ayaz Sadiq pointed out that there are 14 audit paras of the Ministry of Defense Production to which chairman committee declared all the paras of the Ministry of Defense production as settled.
The meeting started with the confirmation of actionable points of previous meeting held on January 2, 2020. The committee also settled the appropriation accounts 2011-12 and Audit Reports for the year 2012-13 pertaining to Ministry of Defense Production Audit Para involving amount Rs 50 million.
The PAC Balochistan delegation also observed the meeting of the committee. The meeting was attended by members of the committee including MNAs Malik Muhammad Aamir Dogar, Munaza Hassan, Noor Alam Khan, Muhammad Sana Ullah Khan Mastikhel, Sardar Ayaz Sadiq, Khawaja Muhammad Asif, Raja Pervaiz Ashraf, Syed Naved Qamar, Hina Rabbani Khar, Syed Hussain Tariq and Shahida Akhtar Ali, Senator Sherry Rehman, Senator Syed Shibli Faraz and Senator Ahmed Khan.