USC board dissolves procurement committee

Move came after body’s refusal to buy sugar at higher rate

ISLAMABAD: The row over sugar purchase has intensified as the board of directors of Utility Stores Corporation (USC) dissolved the tender procurement committee and gave control of a reconstituted committee to board members from the private sector, sources say.

However, after realising the mistake that a director could not lead the tender procurement committee, the USC acting chief Sultan Mahmood withdrew the notification the next day and formed four committees to deal with different affairs of the corporation which include commodities procurement.

The board’s role is to assist the public sector companies in improving their performance through adequate policies. But, in the case of USC, the board has taken control of the corporation, running its day-to-day business, which has upset many at the Ministry of Industries, sources say.

The tender procurement committee was dissolved following refusal of the former committee chairman and Senior General Manager Masood Alam Niazi to buy sugar at higher rates.

The board of directors, in a meeting held on November 19, had recommended removing him as well as Sugar Procurement General Manager Sagheer Ahmad. Secretary Industries Arif Azeem, while briefing the National Assembly Standing Committee on Industries and Production, had termed the board’s interference in removing the two officials illegal.

Documents revealed that the board in the November 19 meeting approved reconstitution of the tender procurement committee under the chairmanship of Kanwar Anwer Saeed, a director from the private sector.

Other members were USC managing director, chief operating officer (COO), chief financial officer and the manager concerned. USC acting chief Sultan Mahmood issued a notification in this regard on November 24.

However, Mahmood withdrew the notification and issued another one on November 25 to form four committees. Of these, one would deal with procurement being headed by the COO.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 28^th,  2015.

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