NAB's DGs Conference: Important decisions taken
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ISLAMABAD: (APP) The three-day 21st Director Generals Conference of National Accountability Bureau (NAB) concluded on Wednesday with a determination to pursue corruption cases on merit and transparently.
Chairman NAB, Qamar Zaman Chaudhry chaired the conference here which thoroughly deliberated performance of all Regional Bureaus and Headquarter including operation, prosecution and Awareness and Prevention Divisions.
The conference reviewed measures taken by present management in order to further improve performance and efficiency.
Addressing the concluding session, the chairman said a comprehensive operational methodology had been chalked out for proceeding of cases complaint verification, inquiry and investigation.
NAB's investigation officers strictly follow code of conduct and zero tolerance policy on basis of evidence as per law, he said and termed 2014 basically as year of re-invigoration.
He said to close possibility of any single NAB officer/official influencing discharge of official business, the concept of a "Combined Investigation Team" (CIT) was introduced where two investigation officers and a legal consultant are working as a team for a fair, transparent and unbiased, inquiry/ investigation.
He said NAB has recovered Rs. 278 billion since its inception from corrupt and deposited in national exchequer. NAB has received 3,21,318 complaints which were all disposed off according to law.
NAB has authorized 7124 inquiries, 3616 investigation and filed 2610 in the respective Accountability Courts to proceed against allegedly corrupt people since its inception.
In short span of 16 years, NAB's performance is a record achievement which is better than any investigation agency of the world.
He said an effective accountability mechanism is quintessential for economic growth, investment and stability of social order.
The intervention by NAB has acted as a catalyst, as transparency is a prerequisite for promoting investment and economic growth.
Since its inception, NAB had adopted the enforcement based approach in its fight against corruption.
Special focus, is, therefore being given to Awareness and Prevention activities besides Enforcement to educate people at large about ill effects of corruption.
It was decided that NAB's anti-corruption strategy of Awareness and Prevention and Enforcement has proved very successful which will continue in future.
Qamar Zaman said the figures of complaints, inquiries and investigations are almost double as compared to the same period of 2014 to 2015 and in the six months of 2016.
The comparative figures for the latest two and half years are indicative of the hard work being put in by all ranks of NAB staff in an atmosphere of renewed energy and dynamism, where fight against corruption is being taken as a national duty.
The increase in number of complaints also reflects enhanced public trusted in the NAB, he said and added NAB with improved infrastructure and rationalized workload, has prescribed timelines for efficient, effective and expeditious disposal of case, putting a maximum limit of 10 months- from complaint verification-to- inquiry-to investigation and finally to a reference in Accountability Court.
It was decided that youth is the future of Pakistan, therefore NAB will continue its policy to give special emphases on involving youth in order to aware them about the ill effects of corruption from an early age so that they may hate corruption in all its forms in future.
The Chairman said NAB in collaboration with Higher Education Commission (HEC) has established more than 42,000 Character Building Societies (CBS) in all leading Universities and Colleges across the country to build an effective edifice against corruption which will be increased during 2016.
He said NAB has established state of the art Forensic Lab in Rawalpindi which has facilities of Digital Forensics, Questioned Documents and Fingerprint Analysis.
NAB has hosted first SAARC Anti Corruption Seminar in which SAARC countries have agreed to create SAARC Anti-Corruption Forum which is great achievement as Pakistan is the only country in SAARC countries that Corruption Perception Index (CPI) has decreased from 126 to 117.
He said NAB has proposed Whistle Blower Act which has been approved by Prime Minister. Soon it will be presented before the Federal Cabinet for further deliberations as per law.
During the Conference it was decided to establish a state-of- art-Anti-Corruption Training Academy on the pattern of National Anti-Corruption Academy of Malaysia to enhance abilities of its officers/officials.
He said top priority is being given to impart training to NAB employees on professional line and as per international standards.
He directed concerned Division to expedite the work on this project.
The Conference also decided to conduct refresher courses for prosecutors and Investigation Officers as per approved capacity building training plan 2016.
It was also decided that NAB's Regional Bureaus will be evaluated at a given criteria under Partly Quantified Grading System (PQGS) (Operational Efficiency Index) in order to review and further improve performance.
The outcome of pilot project of Monitoring and Evaluation System (MES) was also shared during the Conference. A pilot Project of NAB Rawalpindi was completed.
It was decided that Pilot Project of Rawalpindi will be replicated in all regional bureaus for effective monitoring and evaluation.
