Appointment of advisory firms: Privatisation Commission violated PPRA rules, says TIP

Body gave incorrect statements about objections from regulator, claims Transparency.

KARACHI:

In a letter to Privatisation Commission Chairman Muhammad Zubair, Transparency International-Pakistan (TIP) claims that the federal government organisation has violated the Public Procurement Rules 2004 and the Public Procurement Regulatory Authority (PPRA) Ordinance 2002 during the appointment of financial and legal advisers.

The TIP alleged that the commission’s Legal General Manager Anwar Malik, GM Legal and Administration Director Syed Zain Gillani are violating PPRA Rules.

The TIP quoted the Privatisation Commission’s response to its earlier letters. The commission had written that “the present management of the commission is also closely working with PPRA to form a joint strategy for providing maximum information in the public interest”, which, according to the TIP, confirms that PPRA rules have been violated and the PPRA has sent its objections to you.

The body claimed that such illegal acts are being constantly committed by the Privatisation Commission in spite of the objections raised by the regulator i.e. PPRA directives of March 25, 2014. It also said that administrative action shall be taken against all those who are responsible for claiming that the PPRA has not objected on Privatisation Commission’s selection method, which were wrong statements.

Violating the PPRA rules in appointing financial and legal advisory firms by the Privatisation Commission will lead to discrimination, TIP maintained. They will only be selected “to act as stamp pad to verify all illegal acts of Privatisation Commission, which will jeopardise the whole process of Privatisation of the present government.”

Published in The Express Tribune, May 25^th, 2014.