PPRA MD writes to PM Office on issues highlighted by The News

ISLAMABAD: Managing Director Public Procurement Regulatory Authority (PPRA) Saturday conveyed to the Prime Minister’s Office that a fact-finding committee has already been constituted to probe matters relating to multiple complaints against PPRA employees and about payment of honoraria to the authority’s employees from the World Bank project loan.

The PPRA’s letter to the PM’s Office, while referring to The News story published on the subject on Saturday, shared details of what the authority has done so far on the issues raised by the Cabinet Division and reported by this newspaper.

The PM Office is told that following the cabinet secretary’s direction, the matter was placed before the 78th PPRA Board meeting held on August 9, 2024, whereby the Board was apprised that owing to multiple complaints against PPRA employees and directions of the PM Office and Cabinet Division, the matter was being placed before the Board.

The MD PPRA letter added that the MD had already initiated a fact-finding inquiry into the matter by an inquiry committee on July 30.

The Board after discussion on the subject advised that findings of the fact-finding committee be shared with the Board in the next meeting. The Board further directed that the fact-finding report should cover all aspects of allegations and a comprehensive report be submitted.

According to MD PPRA, the proceedings of the fact-finding inquiry committee are in progress and a report is expected to be submitted next week.

On the subject of payment of honorarium, the PM Office is told that the project EPADS (e-procurement) was launched with the financial assistance of the World Bank as part of one of the six pillars of Public Financial Management Reform Strategy (2017-2028). Total cost of the project is Rs12.5 billion. Expenditures till date are Rs450 million, due payments are Rs550 million, total expected cost is Rs1 billion and expected saving is Rs11.5 billion.

The PM Office is told that during the financial year 2020-21 to 2023-24, an amount of Rs74.8 million was disbursed on payment of honorarium to employees of PPRA deputed on various assignments related with project operations. The PPRA employees were reportedly deputed on project assignments keeping in view shortage of staff of project. It is said that seven project employees were working out of 24 sanctioned strength.

Regarding allegations of financial corruption, record tampering, bogus documentation and blackmailing, the MD PPRA told the PM Office that these allegations have been levelled through multiple anonymous applications addressed to high offices, intelligence agencies from time to time.

It is said that an inquiry was initiated against a former DG PPRA on the direction of PM Office and based on the recommendation of the inquiry committee, the PPRA Board denotified the officer in Feb 2023. On the direction of PPRA Board, disciplinary proceedings were initiated against two other officials and the outcome of their inquiry was placed before the PPRA Board meeting on 9th August 2024. The Board referred the matter to the HR Committee of the Board to examine the inquiry reports and take decision for imposition of penalties as deemed appropriate.

The PM Office is also told that following the denotification of its DG and initiation of inquiry against other officers, there has been a significant increase in anonymous applications against the PPRA at various fora.

“In addition to that, there are some other officials in PPRA who are habitual of lodging complaints against one another due to personal grudges and such complaints are frequently distributed to higher officers and investigation/intelligence agencies. The fact-finding inquiry committee is going to probe the matter in detail,” said the letter.