The federal cabinet has introduced a new Toshakhana (gift repository) policy with immediate effect prohibiting all state officials from retaining gifts by foreign dignitaries worth $300 or more.
The new ‘Toshakhana Procedure for the Acceptance and Disposal of Gifts, 2023’, dated March 8, includes a fresh set of guidelines for ministries and divisions to adhere to. The policy setting a $300 ceiling on gifts that can be kept was released alongside the Toshakhana records.
A blanket ban on keeping gifted items worth millions has been placed on officials including the prime minister, president, cabinet members, judges as well as civil and military officers. These items include cars, watches, jewellery and cash, among other valuables.
“Gift(s) valuing upto USD 300 shall be allowed to be retained by the recipient after due payments as per its assessed market value,” the memo said. “The gift(s) exceeding this monetory (sic) limit shall straightaway become state/Toshakhana property to be deposited and disposed of according to Toshakhana Procedure.”
The value of the gifted items will be determined by experts at the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) and a private firm. Furthermore, in the case of weapons, the value of the items will be determined by the POF and a private firm.
The new policy states that all gifts, irrespective of their price, received by government functionaries must be “reported” and “deposited” in Toshkhana within “30 days of receipt of the gifts” or “30 days from the date of return to Pakistan in case of foreign visit”.
According to the newly introduced Toshakhana policy, all cash gifts will be deposited into the national treasury and all gold and silver coins are to be transferred to the State Bank of Pakistan, while gifted vehicles will be given to the Central Pool of Cars.
Other gifted items are to be displayed at prominent government buildings.
Also noteworthy is that the policy dictates all civil and military officials can only buy gifted items worth $300 or less at the market value only.
For all gifts exceeding the $300 value that cannot be donated or displayed, citizens will be able to buy the items through an open auction.
All officials, except the prime minister and the president, will also be prohibited from accepting gifts for their family members.
Strict punitive action will be taken against individual recipients if they fail to adhere to the new policy and all officials will be bound to provide details of the gifts they receive to the Cabinet Division.
The policy had first been presented before the cabinet in January and after due consideration has been approved today.
It may be noted that on Monday, the federal government made the 466-page record of Toshakhana from 2002 to 2023 public by uploading it on the official website of the Cabinet Division.
The move was made on the instructions of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.
The recipients of the gifts from foreign dignitaries include former presidents, prime ministers, federal ministers and government officials.
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