FBR purchasing 1,010 vehicles: Senate body to write to PM, ministry

ISLAMABAD: The Senate Standing Committee on Finance has decided to write to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and the Ministry of Finance to stop the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) from purchasing 1,010 vehicles for operational activities.

The issue of purchase of 1,010 vehicles (1300cc) was taken up by former federal minister and Senator Faisal Vawda before the committee, here on Wednesday.

The committee grilled the FBR’s chief admin as the representative of the FBR (the chief admin) failed to satisfy the committee on the justification and rationale behind purchase of these vehicles.

The FBR’s official tried to convince the committee that the Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) has given approval for purchase of these vehicles to be used for operational purposes. The procurement committee and technical committee were formed for purchase of these vehicles. The process has been initiated for the last many months and it has not been done suddenly.

When asked advertisement was given by the FBR, the official said the PPRA Rules allowed the direct contracting after market survey.

The committee members strongly objected that why the summary to the ECC specified vehicles upto 1300cc to give favour to a specific company and secondly why many companies were excluded from the competition. Thirdly, why competitive bidding process was not followed and purchase order was issued in haste.

According to the FBR official, the government wants to enhance the operational capacity of the FBR officials under the transformation plan. They can go to the field formations for carrying out operational activities by using these vehicles. We cannot go above engine capacity of 1300cc vehicles as per summary approved by the ECC. But Chairman of the committee stated why this limit of 1300cc was imposed under the summary. Why you write something like this when you cut out all the manufacturers, the chairman of the committee added. It looks like that 1300cc condition has been done by design, said Senator Saleem Mandviwalla.

Chairman of the committee Saleem Mandviwalla said the FBR should not do this kind of thing and they should be transparent while granting contract. This is very disturbing to hear that FBR has committed such kind of thing. The social media is full of this disturbing event of sudden procurement of vehicles for the FBR employees, he added.

Chairman of the Finance Committee added that “I have also talked to Minister of State for Finance Ali Pervaiz Malik, who agreed that we will look into it if process has not been dully followed.”

Former federal minister and Senator Faisal Vawda informed the committee that the FBR has rewarded its officials by giving vehicles worth Rs6 billion in lieu of shortfall of Rs384 billion during the first six months of the current fiscal year.