Govt bans purchase of vehicles, hiring in ministries

Seven-member committee formed to consider inevitable needs

ISLAMABAD: The federal government has placed a ban on purchase of all kinds of vehicles and new recruitment in all ministries and divisions in the current year 2019-20 under its austerity measures.
Only purchase of motorcycles is allowed.

However, a seven-member committee, headed by additional secretary finance (expenses), has been established to consider the inevitable need for new vehicles and recruitments.

According to an office memorandum formally issued by the Ministry of Finance, the officers of all the ministries and divisions and subordinate departments were not entitled to purchase newspapers and magazines and only authorised officers would be allowed to purchase one newspaper or a magazine.

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Principal accounting officers would be responsible to control and reduce the expenses of power, water, gas and other utilities. This would rationalise the utility expenses.

They would also try to bring the maintenance expenses of vehicles, government buildings and other public assets to a minimum.
These expenses would be limited to the allocated money in the budget.

The office memorandum further stated that in case of unavoidable new employment in a ministry or division or purchase of vehicles, the committee would review the needs and offer its recommendations.

The other members of the committee include senior joint secretary and joint secretary (finance), senior joint secretary and joint secretary (expenses) of the relevant ministry or division, financial and accounting officer of the relevant  ministry or division and Grade 20 officer of the relevant ministry, division and department and deputy secretary (expenses) of the Ministry of Finance.