ISLAMABAD: The Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) has temporarily stopped its plan to buy 1,010 new vehicles following objections raised by the Senate Standing Committee on Finance and Revenue. The committee expressed concerns over the transparency of the procurement process.
In a statement, FBR Chairman Rashid Langrial said the vehicle purchase proposal would be reviewed by the Public Procurement Regulatory Authority (PPRA) before moving forward, in order to address concerns and ensure the process is transparent.
Last week, the Senate Standing Committee had directed the FBR to pause the purchase, which was expected to cost around Rs6 billion. They raised doubts about the fairness of the procurement process. The committee also decided to write to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Finance Minister Mohammad Aurangzeb, asking them to stop the purchase.
During the meeting, FBR officials defended the plan, claiming the Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) had already approved the purchase and that proper procedures were followed. However, the committee members, especially Mandviwalla, criticized the justification, questioning FBR’s internal performance assessments and calling for greater transparency.
In a separate statement, FBR Chairman Langrial had previously stated that purchasing new vehicles for young officers was crucial for the department’s operations.
