mr42O
SENIOR MEMBER
- Joined
- Aug 15, 2009
- Messages
- 6,178
- Reaction score
- 4
- Country
- Location
SLAMABAD: President Mamnoon Hussain paid Rs6 million from taxpayers’ money as tips during his foreign tours while Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif gave away Rs3.7 million of government money as “Eidee” to the lower staff of the PM’s office during 2013-14.
Auditor General of Pakistan’s latest report on the accounts of the federal government (civil) for the financial year 2013-14, recently presented to the president, declare the largesse of both the president and the prime minister as “irregular”, “unauthorized” and in violation of the principles of financial discipline.
According to the audit report, the president and the prime minister misused this money from their “Contingent Grant”. Although both the Presidency and the PM Office tried to defend this spending, the AG report rejected their replies and noted that the government guidelines on budgetary spending were fully applicable to all including the prime minister, as “these were public funds and not personal money”.
The report reveals that President Mamnoon Hussain gave away Rs2.65 million as tip to waiters, security staff, wheel chair operations, Aalim etc during his visits to China and South African in October 2013.
In May 2014, the president again visited China and gave away Rs1 million as tip to waiters, drivers and serving staff.
During his visit to Turkey, Nigeria and Saudi Arabia in June 2014, Mamnoon Hussain gave away Rs1.9 million as tips. During the same month, he again visited Saudi Arabia and gave away tips of Rs4,96,750.
“Audit is of the view that payment of Inam (tips) from the Contingent Grant was against the instructions of the Finance Division. The Presidency, according to the Audit report, told the Auditors such funds allocated to the Presidency fell in the category of “charged”.
“All the expenditures of boarding/lodging of president’s visit abroad were met under the said demand.
The government Auditors, however, rejected the Presidency’s justification and noted that these spendings are totally in violation of the principles of financial discipline as expenditure is appropriated to specific hears of account to maintain budgetary and financial discipline. The report recommended, “Such irregular expenditure should be discontinued forthwith.”
In addition to the misuse of Rs6 million as tips, the Presidency is also found of making “irregular payment” of Rs5 million from the Contingent Grant for the establishment of Community Center at the Presidential Estate Colony.
The report said the development expenditure of Presidential Estate Colony was not covered under the purpose of the Contingent Grant.
Regarding the Prime Minister’s Office, the report was though appreciative of the fact that out of the total allocation of Rs878 million including Supplementary Grant of Rs68.7 million for the year 2013-14 the PM office utilized Rs730 million, it found the irregularity of Rs3.72 million.
When probed, the Auditor found that Rs3.7 million was spent as ex-gratia/Eidee to the employees (BS-1 to 4) of the PM’s Office. It was not considered irregular and unauthorized.
When the Auditors confronted the PM Office, they were told that this was an established tradition that every prime minister distributes ex-gratia/Eidee out of the Contingent Grant to the employees of the PM Office.
“Accordingly, the prime minister was pleased to approve one month’s basic pay to the employees (BS 1-4) of the Prime Minister’s Office (Public and Internal) and Rs4,000 each to the employees (BS 1-4) of supporting departments as ex-gratia/Eidee on the occasion of Eid-ul-Fitr 2013) out of Contingent Grant.”
The PM’s Office added that the purpose of Contingent Grant issued by the Finance Division was not above the authority of Prime Minister.
As per Rules and Business, 1973 the prime minister was the competent authority to approve such cases without observing the purpose of Contingent Grant issued by the Finance Division.
The Auditor General report, however, rejected the PM Office’s reply and noted, “The reply (of PM Office) was not accepted because the guidelines issued by the Finance Division were fully applicable to payments from the Contingent Grant, being public funds.
The report added that the Finance Division guideline were fully applicable to the prime minister also, as “these were public funds and not personal money”.
President, PM spent millions on ‘tips and Eidee’ - thenews.com.pk
Auditor General of Pakistan’s latest report on the accounts of the federal government (civil) for the financial year 2013-14, recently presented to the president, declare the largesse of both the president and the prime minister as “irregular”, “unauthorized” and in violation of the principles of financial discipline.
According to the audit report, the president and the prime minister misused this money from their “Contingent Grant”. Although both the Presidency and the PM Office tried to defend this spending, the AG report rejected their replies and noted that the government guidelines on budgetary spending were fully applicable to all including the prime minister, as “these were public funds and not personal money”.
The report reveals that President Mamnoon Hussain gave away Rs2.65 million as tip to waiters, security staff, wheel chair operations, Aalim etc during his visits to China and South African in October 2013.
In May 2014, the president again visited China and gave away Rs1 million as tip to waiters, drivers and serving staff.
During his visit to Turkey, Nigeria and Saudi Arabia in June 2014, Mamnoon Hussain gave away Rs1.9 million as tips. During the same month, he again visited Saudi Arabia and gave away tips of Rs4,96,750.
“Audit is of the view that payment of Inam (tips) from the Contingent Grant was against the instructions of the Finance Division. The Presidency, according to the Audit report, told the Auditors such funds allocated to the Presidency fell in the category of “charged”.
“All the expenditures of boarding/lodging of president’s visit abroad were met under the said demand.
The government Auditors, however, rejected the Presidency’s justification and noted that these spendings are totally in violation of the principles of financial discipline as expenditure is appropriated to specific hears of account to maintain budgetary and financial discipline. The report recommended, “Such irregular expenditure should be discontinued forthwith.”
In addition to the misuse of Rs6 million as tips, the Presidency is also found of making “irregular payment” of Rs5 million from the Contingent Grant for the establishment of Community Center at the Presidential Estate Colony.
The report said the development expenditure of Presidential Estate Colony was not covered under the purpose of the Contingent Grant.
Regarding the Prime Minister’s Office, the report was though appreciative of the fact that out of the total allocation of Rs878 million including Supplementary Grant of Rs68.7 million for the year 2013-14 the PM office utilized Rs730 million, it found the irregularity of Rs3.72 million.
When probed, the Auditor found that Rs3.7 million was spent as ex-gratia/Eidee to the employees (BS-1 to 4) of the PM’s Office. It was not considered irregular and unauthorized.
When the Auditors confronted the PM Office, they were told that this was an established tradition that every prime minister distributes ex-gratia/Eidee out of the Contingent Grant to the employees of the PM Office.
“Accordingly, the prime minister was pleased to approve one month’s basic pay to the employees (BS 1-4) of the Prime Minister’s Office (Public and Internal) and Rs4,000 each to the employees (BS 1-4) of supporting departments as ex-gratia/Eidee on the occasion of Eid-ul-Fitr 2013) out of Contingent Grant.”
The PM’s Office added that the purpose of Contingent Grant issued by the Finance Division was not above the authority of Prime Minister.
As per Rules and Business, 1973 the prime minister was the competent authority to approve such cases without observing the purpose of Contingent Grant issued by the Finance Division.
The Auditor General report, however, rejected the PM Office’s reply and noted, “The reply (of PM Office) was not accepted because the guidelines issued by the Finance Division were fully applicable to payments from the Contingent Grant, being public funds.
The report added that the Finance Division guideline were fully applicable to the prime minister also, as “these were public funds and not personal money”.
President, PM spent millions on ‘tips and Eidee’ - thenews.com.pk
