National Workshop on the Role of Public Accounts Committees (PAC) In Effective Oversight.

May 10, 2017 MEMBERS, SEMINARS & WORKSHOPS

The institute organized a 3 day long National workshop for the honourable members and senior Secretariat officers from the National Parliament, four Provincial Assemblies as well as Legislative Assemblies of Gilgit-Baltistan and Azad Jammu & Kashmir from May 10-12,2017. On day one, Former Speaker of the National Assembly of Pakistan, Honourable Syed Fakhar Imam made a keynote speech about the significance, evolution, and best practices of Public Accounts Committees in the House of Commons. The session was followed by a visit of the National Assembly of Pakistan, where the Honourable Members attended the PAC meeting being held as observers and had a meeting with the Honourable Leader of Opposition, Syed Khursheed Shah who was presiding the PAC meeting. In last session of the day Mr. Faisal Hayat oriented the participants about the PAC process mapping. On day two, Honourable Member National Assembly of Pakistan, Ms. Shahida Akhter Ali and Honourable Ms. Yasmin Rehman, former Member of the National Assembly had an interactive session with the participants on Scrutinizing Audit Paras. Further session on PAC-AGP Coordination and Scrutiny was facilitated by Mr. Faisal Hayat. The event ended with an interactive panel discussion lead by former Member of the National Assembly, Mr. Adnan Aurangzeb, on the key theme of Positive projection of the work of PAC. The participants expressed their satisfaction on the initiative and desired that such events should be held in the very beginning of the Honorable Members tenure in the assembly.

On the direction of the Chairman Senate/President PIPS Board of Governors, the Pakistan Institute for Parliamentary Services (PIPS), has implemented a comprehensive set of measures aimed at ensuring fiscal discipline, operational efficiency, and responsible utilization of public resources, on the same lines as notified and adopted by the Senate and National Assembly Secretariats.

Under the new measures, the Institute has adopted a four-day working week (Monday to Thursday), while introducing a hybrid working model whereby 50% of staff will perform duties from the office and 50% will work remotely on a rotational basis. Employees working from home will remain fully accessible through digital communication platforms and may be required to report to the office on short notice, ensuring uninterrupted institutional functioning.

Significant steps have also been taken to promote energy conservation. These include a target of achieving up to 70% reduction in energy consumption through minimizing unnecessary use of electricity and ensuring that official meetings, trainings, and events are scheduled during daylight hours. Foreign tours are banned and international meetings are being held virtually.

In the transport section, PIPS has introduced strict measures to curtail expenditure and 70% official vehicles have been grounded as part of this initiative.

As part of broader austerity efforts, 20% reduction has been imposed on the non-ERE budget for the fourth quarter of the current financial year. The officers drawing a monthly salary of PKR 300,000 or more, shall surrendered two days salary or 5% to 30% salary on gross as per Federal Government decision.

The Institute has also discontinued all non-essential procurements with immediate effect. Official functions such as dinners and receptions will not be hosted, except in the case of visiting foreign delegations, and even then, strictly in accordance with austerity protocols.

These measures have been implemented with immediate effect and will remain in force until further orders.

Under the guidance of President PIPS Board of Governors, Syed Yousaf Raza Gilani, PIPS remains fully committed to maintaining its core functions of parliamentary support, capacity building, and research while contributing proactively to national austerity and sustainability goals.

National Workshop on the Role of Public Accounts Committees (PAC) In Effective Oversight.

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