PPRA allegedly pockets Rs103m

Inquiry accuses officials of unauthorised use of World Bank funds

ISLAMABAD:

Top officials at the Public Procurement Regulatory Authority (PPRA) have allegedly consumed Rs103 million in salaries from World Bank funds, according to an inquiry report.

Earlier, the prime minister had ordered a probe into irregularities within the PPRA. While the fact-finding committee has completed its report, it has yet to be submitted to the prime minister within the given timeframe.

The inquiry established that Engineer Zubair's recommendations were ignored as Rizwan Malik and Maqbool Ahmed Gondal, without authority, budget provisions, or justification, granted themselves honoraria out of World Bank loan funds, totalling Rs103.4 million. Malik awarded half of the recommended amount to employees, while Gondal granted honoraria based on gross salaries to themselves and highly-paid PPRA staff.

Additionally, the report reveals that two BS-22 civil servants, Malik and Gondal, in their capacity as MDs of PPRA, approved and granted themselves multiple honoraria totalling Rs5.33 million without the knowledge or approval of the PPRA Board.

The Grievance Redressal Committee (GRC) records reveal that out of 56 appeals filed, only 14 were dismissed, while 30 were ruled in favour of contractors. Seven appeals were withdrawn, and five were declared time-barred. The dismissed appeals have been challenged in the High Court, but none of the GRC's decisions were presented to the PPRA Board for ratification.

The probe also investigated allegations of forgery and tampering with records. The current MD of PPRA informed the committee that two officials, Ali Temoor (DD HR) and Muhammad Khurshid (DD Legal), were found guilty in two separate inquiries related to forgery and tampering. These cases will be presented to the PPRA Board in an upcoming meeting.

Technical experts involved in the investigation found that the EPADS (e-Pak Acquisition & Disposal System) procurement software, developed by M/s Abacus Consulting, was poorly designed and remains incomplete. The system requirements document lacked essential procurement system needs, leading to over 1,200 modifications during the development phase. The EPAD project, intended to engage stakeholders from the governments of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan, has a high cost compared to its scope and quality, but time constraints prevented a thorough examination of the financial aspects.

Based on the facts, the records reviewed, and the statements of relevant PPRA personnel, the Committee concluded that PPRA never designed, drafted, or obtained approval for a Concept Note for such a significant and large-scale project.