Greater accountability: NAB chairman highlights quantified grading system

Says a senior member of chairman’s inspection team has conducted a performance review

ISLAMABAD: National Accountability Bureau Chairman (NAB) Qamar Zaman Chaudhry said the implementation of law enforcement and precution measures were being monitored through daily, weekly and monthly reports and inspections.

The bureau has also devised a comprehensive quantified grading system to review the annual performance of its regional offices and improve the performance of its officers. The chairman issued this statement while chairing a meeting.  A senior member of the Chairman’s Inspection and Monitoring Team (CI&MT) conducted a performance review during 2016 and gave a briefing on the strengths and weaknesses of regional bureaus.

The chairman said that under the grading system, NAB’s regional bureau’s performance was evaluated under a predetermined criterion. He added the body had chalked out an effective and comprehensive National Anti-Corruption Strategy (NACS) for the eradication of corrupt practices. According to the chairman, these measures had already started yielding results.

The chairman said NAB had already devised standard operating procedures to rationalise workload and timelines were prescribed for the disposal of cases. There was a maximum limit of 10 months from complaints to verification to inquiry to investigation and filing a reference to an accountability court.      He said NAB has prosecuted corrupt individuals and recovered Rs277 billion since its inception.

Chaudhary said NAB established its first lab in Islamabad which helps with the analysis of digital forensics, questionable documents and fingerprints.

Chaudhary reiterated NAB’s resolve to continue the policy of zero tolerance against corruption within the bureau.  At the same time, he encouraged officers to perform their duties based on merit.

He claimed NAB had taken the lead in establishing methods to combat corruption.

Under the awareness and prevention regime, NAB established more than 22,000 character-building societies (CBS) at universities and colleges all over the country to sensitise the youth.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 21^st, 2016.