Govt decides to bar state functionaries from accepting gifts of value above $500

ISLAMABAD: The federal government has decided to bar State functionaries from accepting gifts of value above US 500 dollars in keeping with best international practices, sources close to State Minister for Petroleum told Business Recorder.

On January 24, 2023, Special Secretary Cabinet briefed the federal Cabinet that the prime minister constituted an Inter-Ministerial Committee on June 23, 2022 for devising an open and transparent Toshakhana procedure for the acceptance and disposal of gifts with appropriate provisions of declassification. The background of constitution of the committee, its recommendations after threadbare deliberations, and salient features of the new draft Toshakhana procedure and the draft Toshakhana Bill, based thereon, were shared with the Cabinet.

The final recommendations of the committee presented were as follows: (i) the monetary limit for free of cost retention of gift shall be done away with; (ii) information of Toshakhana gifts of last twenty years shall be declassified immediately and uploaded on website of the Cabinet Division.

The information shall be updated and uploaded every quarter; (iii) Cabinet secretary, with the approval of the prime minister, shall dispose of the gifts either through display at prominent government buildings, donation to charities or public auction with the reserve price (market value) set at the assessed market value of the gift; (iv) Cabinet secretary, with the approval of the prime minister, shall transfer the proceeds of auction to the Pakistan Bait-ul-Mal or other reputed charitable organisations; (v) gifts of Toshakhana could also be displayed at the Foreign Office besides the presidency, the PM Office, the Parliament and the Pakistan National Council of Arts and Museums; (vi) Cabinet Division would, in the light of the recommendation of the committee, improve the proposed “Procedure for the Acceptance and Disposal of Gifts” and submit the revised draft to the convener of the committee for approval; (vii) Cabinet Division would, in consultation with the Law and Justice Division, prepare draft Toshakhana Bill and Rules thereunder, and submit it for approval of the competent fora; (viii) Law and Justice Division shall review the Right of Access to Information Act, 20l7 and the Pakistan Information Commission Act, and propose need-based amendments to address the lacunas/gaps therein, especially by taking into consideration the sensitive nature of the matters being dealt with by the Government/Cabinet Division.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2023