Minister forms body to address NTS issues

The organisation has been marred by accusations of corruption and tax evasion

ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister for Science and Technology Rana Tanveer Hussain has instructed the ministry to form a committee to review and analyse the issues faced by the National Testing Service (NTS) and submit recommendations to improve its performance and efficacy.

He gave these directions while chairing a meeting on NTS, a top-notch recruitment organisation marred by accusations of corruption, tax evasion and money laundering.

NTS Chief Operating Officer Sherzada Khan informed the minister that NTS has paid the majority of its dues, including liabilities and taxes, while the remainder will be paid within the next few days after reconciliation of the outstanding amount with the Federal Board of Revenue.

Khan apprised the minister regarding the establishment of internal NTS acquiring its printing facility to ensure there is no leakage of question papers. According to Khan, certain negative elements had started a smear campaign in the media to defame the company out of sheer jealousy.

The NTS was launched as a project of COMSATS Institute of Information Technology, a subsidiary of the Ministry of Science and Technology, during the Musharraf era as a non-profit organisation.