ISLAMABAD, Pakistan: The Senate was told on Wednesday during last five years, 61 posts of inspectors were vacant at Model Customs Collectorate (MCC) Quetta against direct appointment quota only out of which eight were filled in through the Federal Public Service Commission (FPSC) in 2017.
Speaking in the Senate during question hour, the Federal Minister for Finance, Revenue and Economic Affairs Rana Muhammad Afzal Khan said the MCC Quetta had conducted departmental examination for its employees in January 2012 for consideration to fill up the vacancies of Inspector (Customs) meant for departmental promotion quota.
The minister said around 67 employees passed the examination, out of which 11 candidates on top of merit list were promoted by the Collectorate. The remaining persons could not be promoted due to non-availability of more vacancies in the promotion quota, the minister added.
The seniority of Customs Inspectors (BS-16), Rana said, was maintained on all Pakistan basis. According to Recruitment Rules, the quota reserved for promoting and direct recruitment to the post of Inspector Customs is 50%: 50%.
Rana Afzal said over-all sanctioned posts of Customs Inspector are 1672; therefore maximum 836 posts at the ratio of 50% fall in promotion quota. However, at present, 1068 posts are held by the promotee Inspectors against 836 permissible posts.
Hence, the promotion quota was heavily overburdened for the present; as such no further promotions could be made till rationalization of the quota to the ratio of 50:50, he added.
The vacant posts of Inspectors in MCC Quetta along with and in other formations of the Customs department are being forwarded to the FPSC for direct recruitment.
Replying to a question, he said that a total of 309 posts of Customs Inspectors became vacant in the Customs Department during last five years. A total of 200 candidates were selected and recommended by the FPSC for appointment as Inspectors Customs against the direct recruitment quota vacancies in December 2016.
However, only 142 of them joined the post and they were posted to various Collectorates/Directorates in March/April 2017. The Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) has requested the FPSC to nominate alternate candidates against the remaining vacancies, the minister added.
The minister said no promotions were made during the last five years due to non-availability of vacancies in 50% promotion quota as no seats were available against promotion quota during these years. As regards out of turn promotions during last five years, the same are not permissible under the recruitment rules, he concluded.
