The Ministry of Communications has generated a revenue of Rs. 43.32 billion during 2018-19 compared to Rs 28.64 billion in 2017-18, registering a record increase of Rs 14.68 billion (51.25% increase) during the period.

According to the details provided by Central Media Department, the federal government has issued a report of performance and expenditures of the Ministry of Communications during the last eleven months.

The report states that the revenue of the Ministry has risen to Rs 43 billion and its income has increased by 51 percent.

Minister for Communications, Murad Saeed, has so far recovered Rs 7 billion and deposited the amount to the national kitty.

The ministry has increased the revenue by Rs 14.68 billion (+51.25%) during the year

The report stated that billions of rupees were also recovered under the anti-encroachment campaign of the government however the recovery ratio during the last regime was nil.

A new system containing facilities such as e-billing, e-tendering, and mobile app have been introduced by the ministry to enhance transparency. The report said that different national highways projects will be completed in three to six months.

Under the previous government, the minister and parliamentary secretary received Rs, 35,91,000 and Rs 48,52,000 respectively in terms of TA & DA however the incumbent minister Murad Saeed did not spend a single penny from the national exchequer to cover the fuel or transport expenses and has not even claimed the TA&DA allowances.

Murad Saeed did not spend or claim a single rupee under TA&DA, saving millions in the process.

The Ministry of Communications and National Highway Authority (NHA) has issued performance details for the period of August 2018 to June 2019, which states that a total revenue of Rs. 43.326 billion was collected during 2018-19. While in 2017-18, a revenue of Rs. 28.645 billion was generated, thus a total increase in revenue of Rs. 14.681 billion was recorded (51.25% increase) as compared to the previous year.

Likewise, in accountability head, total audit recoveries of Rs. 7.02 billion were made in 2018-19, while in 2017-18, no audit recoveries were made.

During 2008 to 2018, for the offices of Minister and Parliamentary Secretary, total expenditures of more than Rs. 98 Lac were made under TA/DA and Rs. 25.73 million were spent on vehicles and petrol from NHA’s budget. While in 2018-19, expenditures of Minister’s office in TA/DA, vehicles and petrol heads were not made from NHA’s budget.

National Highway Authority actively launched the anti-encroachment drive in 2018-19 and 3347 encroachments were removed and 448.25 Kanals of land recaptured. The cost of the vacated land comes to Rs. 2.503 billion.

It is worth mentioning that under the Clean and Green Pakistan Programme, NHA has planted 757,926 trees along motorways and national highways during 2018-19 and will continue in 2019-20.

In 2018-19 National Highway Authority (NHA-IS FRIENDLY HIGHWAYS) and National Highways & Motorway Police (HUMSAFAR) have launched mobile applications to share information of all ongoing projects as well as live information for commuter’s facilitation. Geographic information system is another step forward initiated to prepare digital data of entire NHA’s Right of Way (RoW) that will be completed by December 11, 2020.

E-Billing project to convert payments of development projects through electronic mode has also been initiated. Hakla-D.I Khan Motorway Project (CPEC Western Route) will come on E-Billing mode as a pilot project on July 30, 2019. With the view to maintain transparency in road building schemes, a system for E-Tendering/Bidding of NHA’s procurement has been started that will be completed and launched by December 2019. Road projects having a total length of 1188 Kms have also been realized.