Pakistan missions abroad spent Rs9.8 billion last year

[haviZsultan]

ISLAMABAD:

With rapid depreciation of the exchange rate and escalating living costs in world capitals, the government spent a whopping Rs9.8 billion on its foreign missions last year, registering an increase of 13% over the preceding year.

Official documents revealed that over the past six fiscal years, Pakistan’s 121 missions abroad registered a 72% increase in expenses, with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs incurring cumulative expenditures worth Rs48.8 billion.

This substantial unexpected rise in expenditures worth billions of rupees, over the past six years, is being attributed to the decreasing value of the rupee against the dollar by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Talking to The Express Tribune, Foreign Office spokesperson Moazam Ali Khan linked the sudden increase in expenditures of foreign missions abroad with skyrocketing inflation across the globe. “This increase (in expenditure) is directly linked to the rupee value as it fell to all-time low against the greenback.”

Khan said that foreign missions abroad continued to keep expenditures to a minimum, justifying the sharp increase by recalling that a few years ago one US dollar was equivalent to approximately 62 Pakistani rupees.

According to details, the ministry of finance released Rs5.72 billion in 2007-08, Rs7.23 billion in 2008-09, Rs8.21 billion in 2009-10, Rs8.4 billion in 2010-11, Rs9.5 billion in 2011-12 and Rs9.8 billion for the current fiscal year to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to meet expenditures of its missions abroad. Surprisingly, Pakistan’s mission in Washington was reported to be the most expensive, as it spent Rs611 million 2009-10.

Pakistan’s mission in New Delhi was reported to be the most expensive in South Asia. Islamabad’s diplomatic office in New Delhi spent Rs192 million in the fiscal year 2007-08. Meanwhile, Pakistan’s mission in New York spent Rs138.2 million in the same fiscal year, which was Rs54 million less than New Delhi.

In fiscal year 2008-09, the New Delhi High Commission expenses jumped to a startling Rs271 million compared to the Pakistan High Commission in New York, which spent Rs124 million during the same year.

Meanwhile, the High Commission in London spent Rs251 million in 2008-09 and Rs310 million in 2009-10, while the mission in Geneva spent Rs203 million in 2008-09 and Rs258 million in 2009-10. Surprisingly, the most cost effective of Pakistan’s High Commissions abroad was reported to be the Montreal mission, which spent only Rs4.8 million in 2009-10, the lowest amount spent by any mission. Additionally, during that fiscal year, the High Commission in Istanbul spent Rs24 million, while the High Commission in Harare spent Rs25 million in 2009-10.

 

[mdcp]

Foreign missions overseas generate high revenues while ripping own people by over charging them so where is that money going, how come they ask money from govt.
plz plz plz who can save this country
These foreign missions in abroad are over charging Pakistani citizen while providing very cheap services, life style of these people like kings, they are just enjoying lifestyle while making personal contacts and benefitting family and friends

All these missions must be audited by any of big4 chartered accountancy firm

They are charging for new passport, renewal of passport, letter, id, attestation etc. in my personal opinion if they reduce their fees are more thsn 50% still they can save money and send back to govt. rather than collecting from public funds

All these saving can be contributed towards the welfare of our overseas workers who work hard day n night and send money back home

There is very small office in harare how come they can spend so much money

 

[Thorough Pro]

The question is what did they (the missions) achieved after spending 9.8 billion? Did our exports to these countries increased? Did we manage to improve our image? did it strengthen our relatinships with the countries?

Pakistan should close it's embassies and consulates in all those countries whith we do not have any trade relations, besides they never help Pakistani citizens. As far as I know most of these ******* ambasadors and counsel generals are having long fully paid vacations on our tax money.

 

[A.Rafay]

The salaries of mission staff and ambassadors is too high, they should be paid money in pakistani currency, not more than what Cj of Pakistan takes and the high commissions and their staff should be subjected to inquiries and accountability under NAB and transparency should be maintained, we shouldn't be surprised if they are doing corruption too.

 

[Awesome]

All Pakistan embassies and consulates are phateechar (at least the sides that are open to public).

There should be an audit of this.

 

[Jango]

All Pakistan embassies and consulates are phateechar (at least the sides that are open to public).

There should be an audit of this.

Completely agreed on the basis of personal experience.

Heck, the folks in the Dubai Consulate don't even let you take mobile phones inside!

 

[Awesome]

Completely agreed on the basis of personal experience.

Heck, the folks in the Dubai Consulate don't even let you take mobile phones inside!

And I'm saying that after professional experience with them! Their main issue is staff, then the premises. There are people who are sitting with computers on makeshift areas that used to be toilets!

The Abu Dhabi Embassy is even worse.

 

[RazorMC]

Wow !!

The Dubai consulate is horrible and looks a shabby house with a long queue of workers outside the building. There's hardly any space inside, the air-conditioning seems to be absent and the overall interior represents abject poverty.

And in the end, that consulate never seems interested in helping Pakistanis at all.

Why does this dump need so much money then ?

 

[qamar1990]

they all crooks. the current government is basically a mafia holding us hostage.

 

[Pandora]

Last year when i went to Pakistan's embassy in London and guess what i found. There were 3 tents naming Passport, Visa and one for ID cards. There was only one line with people asking to pay 10 pound to get it done quickly. As for our dear high commissioner it is said that instead of buying a house or staying inside embassy he prefers to stay in a 5 star hotel during night. I believe every one knows that for a 5 star hotel in London it cost nearly 500-1000 pounds per night. Now multiply it by by number of days in a year.

 

[my2cents]

Last year when i went to Pakistan's embassy in London and guess what i found. There were 3 tents naming Passport, Visa and one for ID cards. There was only one line with people asking to pay 10 pound to get it done quickly. As for our dear high commissioner it is said that instead of buying a house or staying inside embassy he prefers to stay in a 5 star hotel during night. I believe every one knows that for a 5 star hotel in London it cost nearly 500-1000 pounds per night. Now multiply it by by number of days in a year.

they should outsource most of the work to Pakistan or to a third party. In this world of network connectivity, you can improve efficiency and bring down costs.

Indian embassy in SF has outsourced its work to a third party.... the service and efficiency both has improved.