The PAC has taken notice of the reduction in age limit of the imported vehicles from 5-year to 3-year and sought details in five days. Member of the Committee, Saeed Zafar, alleged that the sub-committee's decision to fix the age limit was not taken seriously by concerned ministries. The sub-committee had recommended the age limit at 5-year. Chairman PAC directed the ministry to fix the responsibility in this respect.
The officials of FBR informed the committee that the matter had also been under discussion in the National Assembly's Standing Committee on Finance and Revenue. They further said that the Ministry of Industry had sent summary directly to Federal Cabinet for approval and FBR was not taken on board. They also informed the committee that the local auto manufacturers did not honour their commitment of 100 percent indigenization.
The committee suggested that a joint session of PAC and NA Committee on Finance and Revenue might be convened to resolve the age limit of imported vehicles. The committee sought revenue record of 30 years regarding imposition of 5 percent duty on the import of vehicles and 10 percent on import of machinery.
The officials of FBR further said the board had made recovery of Rs 140 billion last month. The committee also took notice of stay of unauthorised persons in guest houses of FBR in different parts of the country. Chairman PAC also challenged the content of the recently launched report of Transparency International Pakistan which ranked Pakistan 33rd in corruption index and asked them to come in the PAC for debate on this.
Reviewing the audit reports of Ministry of Tourism Development for years 2004-5, the committee directed to recover the amount from those officers who borrowed from the government. The CNIC of defaulters must be blocked. The committee was informed that Rs 20 .3 million were borrowed but not returned. The committee showed serious concerns over delay in calling the meeting of board of governors of the ministry. In his ruling Chairman PAC directed the secretariat to write letter to federal minister for tourism to immediately call the meeting so that pending matters could be resolved.
The auditor general of Pakistan informed the committee that IPC made payment of Rs 2.4 million to Auto Trading Centre against the purchase of five vehicles but no vehicle has been delivered so far. The committee was informed that the matter was taken to court of law which directed to deduct the amount form the bank accounts of the company. Only Rs 50,000 was recovered from the accounts.
The committee directed to find out the property of the owner of the company and confiscate it with the assistance of Revenue Department. Responsibility must be fixed on those who did not take any guarantee from them at the time of agreement. The PAC also directed to recover Rs 8,60,000 (Travelling expenses) from former Federal Minister for Health Naseer Khan who used government vehicles for three years which was unauthorised.