Islamabad: The Senate Standing Committee on Economic Affairs, chaired by Senator Saifullah Abro, voiced strong criticism over alleged mismanagement, irregular spending, and lack of transparency in several public welfare projects, including the Sindh Solar Energy Project, foreign-funded housing initiatives, and key infrastructure developments. The committee raised alarms about inflated costs, questionable NGO involvement, and procedural violations across these undertakings.
During a briefing on the Sindh Solar Energy Project, it was revealed that only 23,000 solar systems had been distributed out of the planned 200,000. Senator Abro criticized the project’s execution and questioned the steep rise in unit costs from Rs. 21,000 to Rs. 32,000. He demanded a detailed cost breakdown, including market rates and tax components, and expressed concern over the exclusion of the poorest households—those consuming 0–20 units of electricity—due to a required Rs. 6,000 upfront payment.
It was further disclosed that out of 18 companies that participated in the bidding process, only three—one of them a Chinese firm—were awarded contracts. The committee ordered officials to collect market price data from major cities and present a report in the next session. Committee members also took issue with the role of NGOs, highlighting the unusually high 10% consultancy fee they received, compared to the 2% norm in government projects. Reports of duplicate beneficiaries and allocation of multiple panels to single households prompted the committee to seek verification of beneficiary records by the Secretary of Economic Affairs and the Chief Secretary of Sindh.
Turning to foreign-funded housing programs, the committee scrutinized the use of Rs. 22 billion for 2.1 million houses. A sum of Rs. 10,500 per house had been paid to NGOs, raising concerns about the purpose and transparency of these transfers. Senator Abro demanded a full 20-year operational history of the five NGOs involved, along with their agreements and financial records. He also criticized the absence of senior officials from the Sindh Peoples’ Housing for Flood Affectees and Sindh Solar Energy Project, calling the available briefings inadequate.
The committee then reviewed the 765kV Dasu-Islamabad Transmission Line Project, where a financial discrepancy of Rs. 1.282 billion was identified. The amount stemmed from tax figures being omitted in the Letter of Award but later included in the final contract. Senator Abro called for investigations by the FIA and NAB and directed that all NTDC Board members involved be summoned. The Power Division Secretary pledged corrective action against responsible parties.
Further scrutiny was applied to the ADB-funded ACSR Bunting Conductors contract under Project ADB 401B-2022 Lot II A. Officials admitted that M/s Newage Cable Pvt. Ltd., which was awarded the contract, lacked the qualification to manufacture the required equipment. The committee instructed that all related correspondence with ADB, technical testing reports, and payment records be submitted.
Expressing deep frustration with government non-cooperation, Senator Abro remarked sarcastically that after confronting Indian Prime Minister Modi in Parliament, it now felt like the committee was facing him in these proceedings too. All ministries and departments were ordered to provide complete documentation and clarifications at the next meeting.
