During discussion over agenda item of reassessment of value of vehicles after four years of 2013 amnesty motor vehicles scheme, Mandviwalla said if any under-valuation of imported vehicles was done at the time of amnesty, it was FBR''s fault and it should be responsible for it and not the people.
The committee chairman said, "Give me a single example that you have taken action against any of your officials. You, FBR should pay and not the people." Mandviwalla stated, "You are the most corrupt department and your commissioners are asking money on every notice and you have not taken action against them. You protect them." The chairman FBR said, "I protest these remarks." He added that committee chairman was being unfair to him. "I will take action against each person involved in misconduct," said the chairman FBR.
The collector FBR Quetta said that 17,414 vehicles were registered in Quetta under amnesty scheme. The chairman of the committee said the committee has been asking the chairman FBR to repatriate the FBR official Waseem Altaf, who is posted on deputation in AJK on corruption charges, but the FBR has not repatriated him and is giving different excuses in each meeting. Committee Member Senator Saud Aziz said he would personally pursue the matter while chairman stated he would take the matter to the Senate if it is not resolved. He said there were complaints of corruption against the FBR official.
The finance committee said that Competition Commission of Pakistan (CCP) has been unable to act effectively against various cartels which are operating freely in the country, but the CCP has failed to take any action against them. Chairperson CCP Vidya Khalil briefed the committee that the draft Telecom Rules, 2017, of the Ministry of Information Technology would lead to creating parallel jurisdictions of CCP and PTRA. The committee sought the Law Division''s opinion on the matter which stated that CCP law overrides the Pakistan Telecommunication Regulatory Authority draft rules, and IT Ministry can not make such rules for competition.
While Senator Mohsin Aziz questioned the performance of the CCP and stated it was not visible; however, the chairman stated the commission has taken action against various cartels but these cartels have challenged the constitutionality of the CCP. She sought help of the committee to expedite the pending cases with the court through the attorney general for Pakistan. The committee was informed that the CCP had passed orders and directives against the key sectors of the national economy over collusive behaviour and other various abuses including cartelisation and abuse of dominance, etc.
The chairperson of the CCP stated that these sectors include cement, sugar, auto; however, most of them have moved the court against the orders and challenged the legality of the CCP, stating that the subject was a provincial matter. The committee was informed that the hearing of CCP order against the cement sector has been concluded three times by a full bench at Lahore High Court and the last argument was concluded some three months back.
However, Senator Saud Majeed, Senator Mohsin Leghari, Senator Mohsin Aziz and Senator Kamil Ali suggested that the attorney general should be called in the next meeting to discuss the issue whether the chief justice can be requested for expediting the pending cases in the courts in the interest of the public.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2017