Islamabad September 21 2022: The Senate Standing Committee on Finance and Revenue here on Wednesday opposed the State-Owned Enterprises (Governance and Operation) Bill 2022.
The Committee met under the chairmanship of Saleem Mandviwalla to discuss various issues pertaining to the Ministry and its attached departments.
Minister of State for Finance and Revenue, Dr Aisha Ghaus Pasha told the Committee that the SOEs Bill was introduced by the PTI government during March 2021 and also presented and approved in the National Assembly of Pakistan so, we all have to read it again.
She highlighted that the Central Monitoring Unit (CMU) has been established, which also maintained an electronic database of the financial and operational performance of the sate-owned enterprises.
Senator Saadia Abbasi said that we have to endorse those policies which are in national interest and all the entities are loss making.
She said that if the SOEs are not working and profit making then the government should have to close it.
The Committee opposed the SOEs Bill 2022 through majority votes. The Committee also considered the matter regarding regularization of outsourced staff of National Bank of Pakistan (NBP).
The President NBP told the Committee that around 2069 employees were hired from outsource, 567 employees were given the bank contract, while work for 419 employees was in process.
The Committee also considered the issue raised by Senator Dr Afnan Ullah Khan regarding illegal harassment of citizens and filers by Federal Board of Revenue officer on the pretext of increase in assets which creates unrest among the citizen and filers.
Chairman FBR, Asim Ahmad told the Committee that the Board conducted inquiry against those employees who were involved in that case adding the no one can issue a notice on back date.
The Chairman of the Committee gave one month time to FBR to come with full clarification.
