Top officials of state-owned oil and gas explorer Pakistan Petroleum Limited (PPL) including its managing director have made unauthorised expenditures worth millions of rupees on foreign trips without obtaining prior approval of relevant authority.
During the course of audit of the accounts of PPL for 2010-11, auditors observed that five top officials including the existing head went abroad without prior approval of the competent authority as per government’s defined policy and instructions.
The officials who went abroad without seeking prior approval included existing Managing Director Asim Murtaza, Deputy Managing Director Khalid Rahman, Senior General Manager Fasih-uz-Zaman, Kamran Wahab Khan and Suhail Qadeer.
These officials visited Dubai, Italy, Nepal and London to attend different forums and acquire assets of British Petroleum.
According to a Cabinet Division order dated June 25, 2009, no government official will proceed abroad for an official visit and meeting without approval of the competent authority. However, where no government funding is involved, the secretary concerned and minister-in-charge are competent to approve foreign visits.
The Auditor General of Pakistan (AGP), in its audit report for 2010-11, observed that the PPL management made an expenditure of Rs2.61 million on officials during their visits abroad. The matter was brought to the notice of the PPL management on February 15, 2012 through a preliminary observation.
In its reply on February 24, 2012, the management said PPL is a public limited company under the Companies Ordinance 1984 and has independent board of directors to manage the business of the company. According to PPL’s internal procedure, all cases of foreign trips require the managing director’s approval. However, after receiving a letter from the Ministry of Petroleum on May 20, 2011 all approvals for foreign visits were being taken from the ministry.
“The audit was of the view that government’s instructions have been in vogue since 2009 which have not been complied with by the management and the expenditure so incurred is held irregular,” the audit report added.
Published in The Express Tribune, May 16th, 2012.
COMMENTS (4)
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What? Ridiculous!! 28,000 Dollars only for one of the most profit earning company !! Who audits these auditors ??
If the expenditure is irregular, the amount should be returned.
"PPL management made an expenditure of Rs2.61 million on officials during their visits abroad."
Are you serious? @PKR 85 to the dollar, that is just $30,705 - for one of Pakistan's largest companies. I think this amount is may be 1/10th of what one of the larger multinationals spend on foreign trips per year.