Pakistan government doesn’t invest much in fields related to science and technological development. However, the Ministry of Science and Technology(MoST) stills invests huge amounts on sending officials on foreign trips. Millions of rupees were spent during the last three years but the ministry still has nothing to show for it.
Senator Muhammed Talha Mahmood inquired about the trips that were made by the officials of MoST during the past three years. He asked for the names, designations, purpose and expenditure of the visits.
The ministry replied that around 300 visits were made, which cost about Rs 48.81 million. Point to note is that this amount only includes the travel and daily allowances and not the airfare cost. During the last senate session, the ministry also reported that about 506 officials travelled abroad on ‘official’ business.
“Technology is the road to socio-economic development”, said Dr Attaur Rahman
COMSATS Institute of Information Technology – a multi-campus research facility and university with its main campus in Islamabad – had the largest share in the amount spent on foreign tours. Rs 42 million were spent from the national exchequer on 270 foreign visits.
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There were 11 MoST officials who were sent on 10 trips which accounted for Rs 3.3 million, said the written statement by the MoST. Another Rs 2.2 million were spent by the Pakistan Science Foundation on 11 visits.
8 more trips were made by officials from the Pakistan Standards and Quality Control Authority (PSQCA). These were partly funded by donors and cost about Rs 600,000. Another Rs 200,000 were spent on two Pakistan National Accreditation Council (PNAC) trips.
Talal Chaudhry, the parliamentary secretary for MoST, received funds for his visit to London for the Westminster Symposium back in July of 2016. He received Rs 193,931 and another Rs 311,756 for his visit to Turkey.
The Chairman of PSF Dr Muhammad Ashraf made around 10 trips abroad during the past three years which were completely sponsored by other bodies. He went to Turkey, China, Iran, the UK, Sri Lanka, and France
The largest bill was of Rs 1,137,462 – for a delegation sent to Lancaster University for academic collaborations.
The reply also stated that no officers from the Pakistan Engineering Council (PEC), the Council for Works and Housing Research (CWHR) and the STEDEC Technology Commercialisation Corporation of Pakistan have been sent abroad on official visits during the past three years.
Via: Tribune
Baray bhenr kay quss hain ye
Great news. Government should send them more to foreign countries. How will our country survive without technology. We need it from abroad. I hope it does not affect our economics or friendship with China. Chinese should not think that we don’t have technology.