Standing Committee Meeting: NHA Directed to Conduct Third-Party Audit on Toll Tax Collection
NHA does not initiate any road projects independently; the matter is sent to the federal cabinet after provincial government approval – Secretary Communications
Islamabad ( Web News )
It has been revealed in the Senate Standing Committee on Communications that toll tax is being collected from vehicles even during the construction of roads and toll plazas. The committee directed the National Highway Authority (NHA) to conduct a third-party audit on toll tax collection and submit a report within 15 days.
A meeting of the Senate Standing Committee on Communications, chaired by former Senator Pervaiz Rasheed, was held at the Parliament House. During the meeting, a discussion was held on the incomplete construction of a road in Umerkot, raised by Senator Ponjo Mal Bheel. It was disclosed that toll tax was being collected even though construction work on the road was still ongoing. The committee instructed the NHA to conduct a third-party audit on the toll tax collection and submit a report within 15 days.
Senator Ponjo Mal Bheel expressed concerns that a 17-kilometer road has not been completed in four years, despite originally being planned for completion in six months. He demanded a third-party audit of the project, stating that the road was intended for Thar Coal traffic. However, after a stay order, the government built alternative routes for Thar Coal transportation, making this road a hub of corruption. He further suggested forming a sub-committee, pointing out that the NHA used old culverts instead of constructing new ones, questioning how old culverts could be reused when the road was supposed to be expanded.
NHA officials assured the committee that action would be taken wherever corruption was found. Secretary Communications stated that the NHA does not initiate any road projects on its own; the matter is first approved by the provincial government and then forwarded to the federal cabinet for further processing.
During the meeting, the Chairman NHA informed the committee that the M-6 motorway is included in the Public Sector Development Program (PSDP) but is being constructed under a Public-Private Partnership. The NHA wishes to keep both options open for M-6. The Ministry of Communications and NHA are preparing budget proposals, and the tender process for the Karachi-Quetta-Chaman Road has already been initiated. Funding has been allocated for ongoing projects.
He added that new schemes from the last budget have not yet been started, and due to budget constraints, the NHA is considering dropping some projects. Security concerns exist in some areas of Balochistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and Sindh.
The Chairman of the Standing Committee pointed out that the Punjab government had launched a financial aid scheme during Ramadan. The Punjab government planned to execute this scheme through Pakistan Post, which would have generated substantial revenue for the postal service. However, Pakistan Post was unable to initiate the project, leading to its cancellation.
Pakistan Post officials revealed that they were supposed to distribute 300,000 to 350,000 pay orders, but many of the provided addresses were incorrect. They had requested the Punjab government to rectify the addresses, but issues persisted. Incorrect pay order addresses and barcode errors further complicated the process.
Despite canceling staff leave and working three days in heavy rain, Pakistan Post managed to deliver 160,000 envelopes to beneficiaries within three days. However, on the third day, the agreement was abruptly canceled without explanation. They were suddenly informed that it took three days to procure the pay orders from the market.
The Secretary Communications stated that the Director General (DG) of Pakistan Post had outsourced IT-related work to a private company. The Pakistan Post was advised to terminate the outsourcing contract with the IT firm. He also held the IT company responsible for the failure of the Punjab government’s Ramadan relief package distribution.
He further revealed that due to this failure, Pakistan Post wasted Rs. 870 million and blamed a lack of strong leadership within the organization.
The Standing Committee has summoned Punjab government officials for the next meeting.