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Aftab Maken
The Senate Standing Committee on Finance has voiced strong disapproval of the Federal Board of Revenue’s (FBR) decision to purchase over 1,000 vehicles worth billions of rupees.
During a meeting chaired by Senator Saleem Mandviwalla, the committee criticized the procurement and recommended halting it immediately.
The controversy began when the FBR’s plan to acquire 1,010 vehicles was brought to the committee’s attention. Expressing frustration, Senator Mandviwalla questioned the rationale behind such an extravagant purchase. “Why is the FBR buying over a thousand vehicles? Were field officers previously collecting taxes on bicycles?” he asked. The FBR officials defended their decision, explaining that the vehicles were intended for field officers.
Senator Faisal Vawda, however, accused the FBR of favoring specific companies through what he described as a corrupt contract. “This is a massive scandal. A pit of corruption has been opened,” he declared, calling the procurement process flawed.
He further questioned whether the purchase was an attempt to compensate for FBR’s ongoing tax revenue shortfall. Vawda argued that the procurement should be stopped immediately, recommending a competitive process instead. “If this is not halted, it will become a major corruption scandal. Let the FBR first address its revenue shortfall, then we can discuss vehicle purchases,” he stated.
The committee learned that the FBR had already placed an order for the 1,010 vehicles, a move that drew sharp criticism from Senator Vawda. He described the haste in finalizing the order as “bullying tactics” and emphasized the need for accountability.
After the meeting, Senator Vawda spoke to the media, welcoming the committee’s decision to halt the purchase. He reiterated his commitment to preventing unnecessary government expenditures. “In the previous government, we stopped several such projects, and we will do the same now. We won’t allow Pakistan to incur losses of billions of rupees,” he said.
Highlighting FBR’s current revenue shortfall of 384 billion rupees, Vawda questioned how the agency could justify spending six billion rupees on vehicles. He alleged that the summary for the purchase had been drafted to benefit a single company. “They are opting for expensive vehicles instead of economical ones, which is unacceptable,” he remarked.
Vawda concluded by noting that from the day this procurement proposal was presented, he had objected to it. “Today, even cabinet members in the committee admit that this is wrong. The FBR has no justification for this purchase,” he said.
