The Auditor General of Pakistan (AGP) observed that the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) made unauthorized payment of meeting and daily allowances to the members of the Board of Governors (BOG) amounting to Rs. 16.386 million.
AGP in the audit report for the audit year 2023-24 noted that regulation 2 (C) of the Regulation for PCB Board of Governor’s Entitlements states that the BOG Member shall be entitled to payment of the following daily allowances when required to travel outside of Lahore on official duty, the Chairman shall be entitled to Daily Allowances as detailed:
- Domestic Rs. 10,000 per day (For outstation only),
- International (Worldwide) US$ 300 with accommodation to be arranged by PCB,
- International (UK) US$ 400 with accommodation to be arranged by PCB.
Regulation 2(D) of the Regulations for PCB Board of Governor’s Entitlements states that in the event any BOG Member is required to participate in meetings, as a member of any PCB Committee, they will be paid a Committee Member Allowance amounting to Rs. 10,000.
The Pakistan Cricket Board paid Meeting and Daily Allowances amounting to Rs. 11.725 million @ Rs. 25,000 and Rs. 10,000 to the four members of the BOG/Management Committee during the financial year 2022-23 as detailed below:
Shakil Ahmad Shaikh was paid a total allowance of Rs. 4.26 million including Rs. 2.7 million as meeting allowance and Rs. 1.56 million daily allowance. Muhammad Haroon Rashid Dar was paid a total of Rs. 3.505 million in allowances including Rs. 2.675 million in meeting allowance and Rs. 1.03 million daily allowance, and Aizad Sayid was paid a total of Rs. 3.96 million in allowance. He was paid for meetings and daily allowances for 116 days from 23 January 2023 to 18 June 2023. Najam Sethi was paid Rs. 4.66 million in total allowance including Rs. 2.65 million meeting allowance and Rs 2.01 million as daily allowance.
Audit observed that only five meetings of the BOG were held on 23 December 2022, 31 December 2022, 13 March 2023, 13 June 2023 and 14 June 2023. The above-mentioned members were paid meeting and daily allowances for the entire month of February (28 days), March (31 days), April (30 days), and June (18 days). Further Aizad Sayid, Member Management Committee from Lahore was paid meeting and daily allowances @Rs. 25,000 and Rs. 10,000 respectively.
Payment of daily allowances amounting to Rs. 1.06 million to Aizad Sayid, was also not admissible to local members who did not travel outside Lahore to attend meeting of the management committee.
The audit further observed that a meeting allowance was claimed @ Rs. 25,000 instead of Rs. 20,000 resulting in a payment of Rs. 1.655 million to Shakil Ahmad Shaikh, Muhammad Haroon Rashid Dar, and Aizad Sayid. The audit is of the view that payment of meeting and daily allowance over and above the prescribed period and at a higher rate was unauthorized which resulted in the loss of Rs 11.725 million to the Board.
The management replied that BOG was replaced with the Management Committee with Executive Powers that enhanced the rate of TA/DA
AGP observed that the reply was not accepted because the payment was irregular. Furthermore, TA/DA should not be a source of income. DAC in its meeting held on 18 January 2024 directed to recover the excess amount paid under intimation to Audit.
The audit recommended that an inquiry be conducted for unauthorized payment of meeting and daily allowances and the overpaid sums recovered.
