Auditors’ findings: 1,000 govt apartments going to waste
Sindh Workers Welfare Board yet to allocate any flats to public employees.
ISLAMABAD:
Nearly 1,000 apartments, built by the government for low-income public employees, are not being used by anyone, despite the Sindh Workers Welfare Board (SWWB) having spent over Rs336 million on their construction, according to a government audit report.
Officials at the SWWB claimed that that they have begun processing applications from government employees who wished to reside in those apartments but were then, inexplicably, told to stop the process before they could begin the allotments. It remains unclear who issued the orders to stop processing applications and why.
Nevertheless, when government auditors discovered the unused apartments and ordered the SWWB to resume the allotment process, the order was not implemented by SWWB officials. There has been no explanation as to why officials at the welfare board have failed to follow orders.
The same audit report found that the Islamabad Workers Welfare Fund (IWWF) had spent nearly Rs20 million on just the inauguration ceremonies at various projects and had done so in violation of the Public Procurement Rules, 2004.
The organisation defended the expenses, saying that, owing to security protocols for many of the chief guests at the inauguration ceremonies, the regular procurement process, which involves public requests for bids, could not be followed.
Sources in the IWWF told The Express Tribune that, auditors refused to accept the explanations offered by the organisation, which resulted in the ‘observations’ being left within the report. As a result, the matter was submitted by the departmental accounts committee to the parliamentary public accounts committee, causing embarrassment to the department.
Government auditors, meanwhile, also objected to the SWWB awarding a Rs16.6 million contract for water supply to Fazlur Rehman & Company without soliciting any competing bids. No action has been taken against any officials, despite directives to do so by the departmental audit committee.
Published in The Express Tribune, May 22nd, 2011.
Nearly 1,000 apartments, built by the government for low-income public employees, are not being used by anyone, despite the Sindh Workers Welfare Board (SWWB) having spent over Rs336 million on their construction, according to a government audit report.
Officials at the SWWB claimed that that they have begun processing applications from government employees who wished to reside in those apartments but were then, inexplicably, told to stop the process before they could begin the allotments. It remains unclear who issued the orders to stop processing applications and why.
Nevertheless, when government auditors discovered the unused apartments and ordered the SWWB to resume the allotment process, the order was not implemented by SWWB officials. There has been no explanation as to why officials at the welfare board have failed to follow orders.
The same audit report found that the Islamabad Workers Welfare Fund (IWWF) had spent nearly Rs20 million on just the inauguration ceremonies at various projects and had done so in violation of the Public Procurement Rules, 2004.
The organisation defended the expenses, saying that, owing to security protocols for many of the chief guests at the inauguration ceremonies, the regular procurement process, which involves public requests for bids, could not be followed.
Sources in the IWWF told The Express Tribune that, auditors refused to accept the explanations offered by the organisation, which resulted in the ‘observations’ being left within the report. As a result, the matter was submitted by the departmental accounts committee to the parliamentary public accounts committee, causing embarrassment to the department.
Government auditors, meanwhile, also objected to the SWWB awarding a Rs16.6 million contract for water supply to Fazlur Rehman & Company without soliciting any competing bids. No action has been taken against any officials, despite directives to do so by the departmental audit committee.
Published in The Express Tribune, May 22nd, 2011.