PEW demands transparency in government institutions

20. 01. 10

PEW demands transparency in government institutions

The Pakistan Economy Watch (PEW) on Tuesday demanded enhanced transparency in the government organisations to ensure efficiency and prosperity.
The legality of the process through which a government department can own a private company is vague therefore it is exploited, said spokesman of PEW Mirza Riaz, in a statement issued here today.
Different organisations have made private companies through which hiring, firing, procurements, and awarding juicy contracts can be carried out bypassing the rules and regulations.
These companies are formed with government money yet they are not state-owned entities. Their assets, liabilities, spending, contracting, inventories etc remain beyond the jurisdiction of annual audits, he added.
Quoting an example, he said that Pakistan Revenue Automation Ltd. (PRAL) is a private organization which is owned by the FBR therefore gets almost all contracts without tenders.
“At the same time, it escapes all government obligations and controls on the plea that it is a private company,” said Riaz.
Sometimes, it represents FBR in the bidding process and later rejects the accomplished task to get contract itself. Later it announces successful completion of the project.
He also questioned the role of donor agencies like the World Bank, Asian Development Bank etc., which are silent over this violation and pumping billion over the last 15 years to improve the working of apex tax collecting body.
The laid down procedure of inviting tenders for spending amount above Rs. 50,000 is openly being violated, noted Riaz.
He demanded valuation of success stories of PRAL, an audit of the past projects, stock inspection, state of hardware acquired by spending millions of dollars and independent audit of software developed at exorbitant cost.
If things were working well why the tax collectors are failing to meet the targets since long, he asked.

http://www.bruneinews.net/story/590672

http://twocircles.net/2010jan19/pakistan_watchdog_urges_transparency_government_institutions.html

http://www.topnews.in/law/pakistan-watchdog-urges-transparency-government-institutions-23610

http://news.one.com.pk/2010/01/20/transparency-demanded-in-government-institutions/

http://www.malaysianews.net/story/590672

http://www.thefrontierpost.com/News.aspx?ncat=cn&nid=1879&ad=20-01-2010

http://in.news.yahoo.com/43/20100119/876/twl-pakistan-watchdog-urges-transparency.html

http://www.newkerala.com/news/fullnews-33890.html

http://www.prokerala.com/news/articles/a108594.html

http://www.indiavision.com/news/article/international/16156/

http://www6.lexisnexis.com/publisher/EndUser?Action=UserDisplayFullDocument&orgId=574&topicId=100007195&docId=l:1110824502&isRss=true

http://www.pakprwire.net/public-sector/pew-demands-transparency-in-government-institutions-1613.html