PAC body examines audit paras of Communication Ministry

ISLAMABAD: The revelation made before the Subcommittee of the PAC on Thursday that with the change in the scope of the motorway projects caused a loss of over Rs18 billion and in the delay of the execution of project caused a loss of Rs14 billion while the Ministry of Communication also failed to recover penalties from contractors in 32 different projects that caused a loss of over Rs10 billion. The meeting of the PAC Subcommittee was held on Thursday under Raja Riaz, in which the audit paras relating to the Ministry of Communication and its attached departments for the financial year 2017-18 were examined.

The officials of the ministry said penalties of billions of rupees would be recovered from the contractors who failed to complete the work on time. The officials also assured penalties would be imposed on the contractors in the delay of three Motorway projects that include Multan-Sukkur, Havelian-Thakot and Lahore-Abdul Hakeem Motorways projects.

Ministry of Communication Secretary said delay was scaused in the completion of the projects due to delay in the release of funds, but the penalties were imposed if the delay in the projects was due to contractors. “If the contractor did not pay the penalties then their bank guarantee could also be confiscated,” he told the committee.”