ISLAMABAD: The Commerce Ministry is more generous to their employees as compared to other ministries as government servants are receiving full allowance while remaining on official leave. The Auditor General of Pakistan Audit report 2015-16 highlighted that the Ministry of Commerce paid Rs 1.139 million to section officer Muhammad Irfan over and above his pay while he was on the official ex-Pakistan leave.
According to the MoC notification that Muhammad Irfan, BS-18 Officer of Commerce and Trade Group posted as Section was allowed to process for PHD Studies to the University of Cambridge, UK from 2007 to 2013 and adjusted as officer on special duty for the period of his training abroad.
One more notification states that Muhammad Irfan, BS-18 Officer of Commerce and Trade Group, posted as section officer was granted 730 days ex Pakistan leave on half average pay from 2013 to 2015. Section 20 of the revised leave rules states that a government servant will draw half pay during his study leave.
Audit pointed out that half pay, deputation allowance and other special allowances amounting to Rs 1.130 million were not deducted from the salary of the officer and were paid irregularly. It further stated that failure to stop and recover pay and allowance from the officer was a gross violation and negligence of the management which resulted in the loss of Rs 1.139 million to the government.
An audit official said that the management did not reply to this issue and told Ministry officials that responsibility may be fixed for the irregularity besides effecting recovery of Rs 1.139 million from the officer under intimation to audit.
Deputy Spokesperson Ministry of Commerce Muhammad Ashraf, while talking to Daily Times, said in most of these cases, the said officer returned the money to government. “I am not aware of this case but if something of this sort has happened, the officer needs to return the money. There is no other way.”
