FUUAST over paid consultant: PAC

Audit says recovery failed due to weak internal controls

ISLAMABAD:

Sub-Committee-IV of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) on Friday directed Federal Urdu University of Arts, Science and Technology (FUUAST) to fix the responsibility of paying excess amount worth Rs3.03 million to consultants despite poor workmanship.

The committee met here at Parliament House in chair of Member National Assembly (MNA) Munaza Hassan, Convener of the committee.

The meeting was also attended by members of the committee including Senator Mushahid Hussain Sayed, MNA Muhammad Ibrahim Khan and MNA Khawaja Sheraz Mehmood.

The committee examined the audit reports and special audit reports for the year 2014-15 of Higher Education Commission (HEC), universities highlighted paras.

Audit observed that FUUAST could not recover the overpaid amount from the defaulting consultant even after lapse of more than three years.

The audit further maintained that the recovery failed due to weak internal controls and inadequate oversight mechanism for enforcing relevant rules and regulations.

The management of FUUAST replied that excess payment would be recovered from the defaulter as arrears of land revenue. The committee directed the management of FUUAST to make recovery from the defaulting consultant.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 3^rd, 2020.