Govt bans purchase of vehicles, hiring in ministries

Principal accounting officers to control, reduce utility expenses of ministries, divisions

ISLAMABAD:

The federal government has placed a ban on the purchase of all kinds of vehicles and recruitment in all the ministries and divisions for the current financial year 2020-21 under its austerity measures. Only purchase of motorcycles is allowed.

However, a five-member committee, headed by additional secretary finance (expenses), has been established to consider the inevitable requirement for new vehicles and recruitment. According to an office memorandum formally issued by the Ministry of Finance, the officers of all the ministries and divisions and subordinate departments will not be entitled to receive newspapers and magazines, while only the authorised officers will be allowed one newspaper or a magazine.

The memorandum further stated that the principal accounting officers had been assigned the responsibility to control and reduce the expenses of water, electricity, gas and other utilities of the ministries and divisions and that they would rationalise the utility expenses. These officers will also be responsible to bring the maintenance costs of vehicles, government buildings and other public assets to a minimum.

These expenses would be limited to the allocated funds in the budget. The office memorandum noted that if there is a dire need to buy a new vehicle or make recruitment in any ministry or division, the committee would review the requirement and offer recommendations.

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