Action demanded against those who plundered national institutions

The Businessmen Panel of the FPCCI on Sunday asked the government to take stern action against the elements who plundered government institutions for their own petty gains.

Those who damaged a national institution like Trade Development Authority of Pakistan (TDAP) for personal benefits should be made an example so that no one can dare such acts in the future, it demanded.

In a joint statement issued on Sunday, the leaders of the Businessmen Panel of the FPCCI including its Vice President Sheikh Aslam, Ahmed Jawad, and Mian Usman said that Government posted SM Muneer as Chief of TDAP to boost exports but he used all the resources of the institution to gain political mileage.

His actions not only left TDAP dysfunctional and export sector reeling but also brought down exports by five billion dollars resulting in a record deficit, they added.

The business leaders said that the CEO of TDAP continued to please his voters by using state resources while on the other hand he constantly cheated the government by claiming to have acquired orders worth billions of dollars through useless expositions.

Chief of TDAP misused his authority by spending Rs840 million over and above than allocated budget with zero output. The Finance Ministry was kept in dark about the spending while approval was not sought from the board of the TDAP which merits forensic audit and subsequent punishment, they added.

The BMP leaders said that those who were loyal to his person were awarded by foreign trips and heavy funding on the expense of the state which damaged the economy.

Many trade associations informed the government about the massive corruption in the TDAP which fell on deaf ears unless they government realized the magnitude of the corruption and mismanagement which resulted in the swift removal of Mr. Muneer.

The MBP leaders said that firing a corrupt is not enough and he must be punished so that other corrupt elements can be discouraged.