SBP, FBR officials spent Rs 24m on visits abroad, Senate told

ISLAMABAD – The Finance Ministry on Friday apprised the Senate of the fact that the officials at the State Bank of Pakistan and the Federal Board of Revenue cost Rs 24 million to the national exchequer on their visits abroad.
Ironically, these visits were meant to seek remedy against the financial crunch in which the Pakistani officials held talks with representatives of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) from October 2008 to November 2010. The Finance Ministry submitted detailed reply to the questions asked by Jamaat-e-Islami Senator Professor Muhammad Ibrahim Khan.
It said the SBP officials held eight meetings with the IMF while the FBR had 10 rounds of parleys with the IMF from October 2008 to November 2010. Out of total 18 sessions between the IMF and Pakistani officials, 10 meetings were held in Dubai, 2 each in Doha, Washington, Istanbul and Islamabad. In another written reply which also depicts government’s ‘generosity, Commerce Minister Amin Fahim told the Senate that the Trade Development Authority of Pakistan (TDAP) incurred an expenditure of Rs 1,053 million in sending traders abroad to participate in trade fairs during the last three years.
Amin Fahim also told the House that former Chairman NICL Muhammad Ayaz Khan Niazi was appointed as Chairman in February 2009 with the approval of the prime minister and was granted MP-I scale. Minister of State for Finance Hina Rabbani Khar told the upper house that the government had provided subsidy of Rs 412,179 million to WAPDA/PEPCO during the last five years.
She said electricity tariff had increased manifold in the last few years due to hike in furnace oil prices. Responding to another question about foreign debts on Pakistan, Khar told the house that October 31, 2008 Pakistan ‘s outstanding foreign debts were $ 22 billion that had mounted to $ 53 billion by September, 30 2010. “Out of $ 53 billion, $ 43 billion are medium and long term loans while $ 8 billion loan was from the IMF.” She said the total number of taxpayers in the country was 3,042,246.
Senator Raza Rabbani, Chairman 18th Amendment Implementation Commission categorically stated on Friday that the government would neither place employees of devolved ministries in the surplus pool nor sack them. He also said the employees of the devolved ministries from grade 1-16 would not be dislocated from the capital. Responding to a supplementary question regarding the status of ministers of the devolved ministries, Rabbani said that after December 17 2010, they were ministers without portfolios. “Now it is up to the Prime Minister to either retain them in his cabinet or relieve them from their duties,” he added.
Minister for Commerce, Makhdoom Amin Fahim told the senate that over Rs 20,572.408 million was available under Benevolent and Group Insurance Funds. In a written reply, the Establishment Division informed the House that Rs 3,740.262 million were allocated for various schemes and projects during the period of present regime.