Daily Times

ISLAMABAD: Like other government departments, there may well be corruption in the Utility Stores Corporation of Pakistan (USC) and the only solution was to computerise the entire system, stated Federal Minister for Industries and Production Ghulam Murtaza Khan Jatoi during a chat with journalists at Parliament House.

“I have already taken up the issue with the USC and directed them to begin the computerisation process as early as possible.” The minister said there were three types of governments – board of any department, CEO and management, and the third was the ministries concerned. The actual work was done by the management and board of any department, while the ministry provided guidelines. However, he regretted that sometimes the department could not follow in letter and spirit these guidelines. To a question, the minister accepted there was corruption in USC, as was the case in other government departments.

Earlier, addressing the Senate Standing Committee on Industry and Production, the minister said the government has totally abolished subsidy factor and now everything was available on market rates except special packages for holy month of Ramazan.

While briefing the committee, USC Managing Director Waseem Mukhtar said the department totally shut down the sale of products in the department’s own name on the directions of the Supreme Court of Pakistan. He said the SC took notice over the sale of cooking oil and ghee at USC with its own name. In some samples of the USC’s oil and ghee there was a shortage of vitamin A, and the SC directed the group to stop its production. He shared that the court also checked prices of other items available at USC outlets.

He also informed the committee that there was a fraud of Rs 350 million in the accounts of USC operating in Balochistan province. In this case, the MD said the department had registered a first information report (FIR) against ten individuals.

The committee expressed serious reservations over the procurement of different items for USC and claimed that kickbacks were involved in a majority of cases. They regretted that low quality items were provided to poor consumers at USC. They also complained over the weight of a majority of products sold at USC of Pakistan.

To a question, the USC MD informed the committee that the board of the corporation on February 10th approved the appointments for Balochistan and GB areas. He affirmed that about 1,500 persons would be appointed from Balochistan for USC.

The managing director also informed the committee that the USC was purchasing stocks of good quality commodities (pulses/rice) in a transparent manner through open competitive bidding by floating the tenders in the press. He claimed that no substandard stock of pulses/rice was being procured by the USC. No complaint with regards to substandard quality of pulses/rice was received from customers.