ISLAMABAD: Following apprehensions raised via the Senate Status Committee on Finance and Income, Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb on Friday vowed to safeguard “transparency” within the procurement of one,010 automobiles for the Federal Board of Income (FBR).
“Procuring vehicles for the FBR officials is an important requirement… They cannot just sit in offices and continue their work,” the minister mentioned in accordance with a letter via Senate Status Committee Chairman Senator Saleem Mandviwalla.
In a letter dated January 22, Senator Mandviwalla highlighted apprehensions in regards to the procurement procedure, emphasising that the timing and scale of such an acquisition raised “considerable doubts about the transparency and integrity of the process” which wanted additional evaluation.
The tax authority issued a letter of intent on January 13 for the Rs6 billion procurement. The primary section will see 500 automobiles delivered, with an progress fee of Rs3 billion already made.
The supply agenda for the automobiles is deliberate in levels, starting with 75 devices in January, adopted via 200 in February, and 225 in March. The second one section will come with 250 automobiles in April and the general 260 in Would possibly.
Mandviwalla mentioned within the letter that committee individuals, all through a up to date assembly, pointed to the planned exclusion of competition within the bidding procedure, elevating suspicions of mismanagement and mala fide intent.
The procurement, estimated to be vital in scope and expense, has been criticised for compromising the foundations of transparency and equity — basic tenets of presidency procurement insurance policies.
The letter asked that the acquisition sequence issued to the Accountant Basic Pakistan Revenues (AGPR) will have to be blocked and the fee will have to be halted.
Responding to the reservations, the finance minister mentioned that the FBR officers must journey to the ground to support tax assortment.
Aurangzeb famous that every one corporations supplying automobiles had been based totally in Pakistan, assuring that refuse corporate can be mistreated within the procurement procedure.
