FGPMA Establishment Notification Issued

A meeting to review the progress of the establishment and function of the Federal Government Property Management Authority (FGPMA) was held in Finance Division with the Advisor to Prime Minister on Finance and Revenue Shaukat Tarin in the chair. Secretary Finance Division briefed the Minister that the official notification for establishment of the authority has been issued. The Adviser to PM Shaukat Tarin stressed the need of making the authority fully functional at the earliest not only for Land Recovery From Illegal Occupants but also to utilize the available government property in the best possible manner to generate funds for public use. Secretary Finance and senior officers of the Finance division attended the meeting. He also directed the officials of the Finance department to complete all the coded formalities in this regard as soon as possible.

The Federal government had decided to set up the FGPMA earlier this year to deal with the federal government properties all over the country. A bill in this regard has been presented in the National assembly and after the clearance of the Standing committee on Finance and Revenue, the Authority would get the legal cover as well. While presenting the bill in the National Assembly the Government had explained that the land owned by the government is stretched across the length and breadth of the country and with the passage of time and owing to the large scale urbanization followed by commercial activities the value of the properties has increased to a large extent.

The bill also stated, “ However, most of the government entities have not been able to manage these assets optimally and many of them are beset with multiple problems like encroachment, illegal occupation, etc,”.The bill also stated, No suit, prosecution or other legal proceedings shall lie against any person for anything which is done in good faith or intended to be done including acts of omission and commission,” unless with prior approval of its board of governors. Also “no court shall, in any case, pass an order affecting any anti-encroachment operation by the FGPMA,”

It is reported that thousands of acres of government property is lying idle with different departments and bodies like Pakistan Railways but they are currently meant for a specific purpose and hence cannot be utilized for commercial purposes to generate revenue. The newly introduced property management authority to be based in Islamabad would be empowered to utilize these government assets by attracting private investors to generate a handsome amount for the national exchequer. The idea behind the establishment of the authority is to generate funds, create jobs, develop human resources,s and increase production and exports. The Authority would be headed by a DG to be responsible for the implementation of the projects assigned by the government to the authority.