Asset declarations by govt servants: ED, FBR under fire for non-implementation of laws

ISLAMABAD: The Senate Standing Committee on Finance expressed serious reservations over the non-implementation of relevant laws by the Establishment Division and Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) on the matter of asset declarations by government servants.

The Senate Standing Committee on Finance and Revenue met here on Thursday under the Chairmanship of Senator Saleem Mandviwalla. The FBR official told the committee that the Establishment Division is the relevant body to ensure the implementation of government servants’ assets declaration rules, and the FBR is only assisting them. He said that the FBR and Establishment Division are preparing an assets declaration form for the government employees, and it would be available on PRAL by May this year, and the government servants would submit it along with their annual financial returns.

Senator Sherry Rehman termed the lack of seriousness in asset declarations a gross violation of the law. She said that the Establishment Division and FBR are using delaying tactics to protect certain elements in the bureaucracy. She said that the pressure put by the IMF and other international donor agencies forced them to do this.

The panel’s chairman expressed his astonishment over the fact that FBR took no time to develop an assets declaration form for the parliamentarians, but for themselves and other government employees, they took almost 10 months to draft a simple assets declaration form. He directed the Minister of State for Finance Bilal Azhar Kiyani to coordinate with the Establishment Division and FBR to resolve the issue and report in the next meeting.

The committee received a detailed briefing from the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) on SMS alert charges in the banking sector. The committee expressed displeasure over the non-submission of relevant data by telecom companies. The committee was informed by the Chairman of the PTA that banks utilise bulk SMS services through aggregators, significantly increasing per-message costs. It was further noted that, on average, customers receive around 15 SMS alerts per month. Saleem Manviwalla directed banks and telecom companies to submit detailed data regarding SMS costs and revenue generation, and instructed PTA to formulate a comprehensive solution in consultation with all stakeholders.

The committee also reviewed the request for government support to promote PayPak. The Minister of State for Finance and Revenue briefed that, in line with the Prime Minister’s vision, the government is advancing cashless digital transactions through QR-based payment systems. It was highlighted that PayPak usage has increased significantly and is being co-branded with international payment systems such as Visa. The committee appreciated the progress and emphasized the need to further promote PayPak to reduce reliance on international payment networks and minimize outflow of foreign exchange. The State Minister for Revenue acknowledged and appreciated the committee’s efforts and intentions to promote PayPak to save foreign exchange.

Deliberating on “The Corporate Social Responsibility Bill, 2026,” the committee unanimously recommended the bill with amendments for passage from the House. It was decided to make CSR activities mandatory. The committee also highlighted the typographical errors and directed SECP to rectify the errors.

The committee discussed the enforcement of the Public Finance Management Act, 2019. Senator Anusha Rahman Ahmad Khan emphasized the need for issuance of a Gazette notification under Section 36 to formally notify the public entities, noting that effective implementation of the Act depends on this step. She also highlighted instances, including retrospective increases in remuneration by SECP, attributing them to weak enforcement of the Act. The Chairman of the committee directed the Ministry of Finance to issue the requisite notification and provide a detailed report to the Committee.

The committee also took up the matter referred by the House to the committee regarding human resource challenges faced by the Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP), particularly the shortage of staff in Balochistan. It was noted that a recruitment process concurrence is pending with the Ministry of Finance. The committee was also informed that BISP disbursements are planned to transition to digital wallets after June 2026 instead of the existing cash payment mechanism.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2026