Foreign Ministry Caught in Another Audit Controversy

The Auditor General of Pakistan (AGP) has identified issues with both fee increases and outsourcing practices at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA). In July 2024, the MoFA raised Apostille certification fees for personal documents from Rs. 500 to Rs. 3,000, legal documents from Rs. 700 to Rs. 4,500, and commercial documents from Rs.

3,000 to Rs. 12,000, which represents increases of sixfold, 6.4 times, and four times, respectively. The fee revisions were made without prior approval from the Finance Division and without publishing the new rates in the official Gazette, in violation of Financial Management and Powers of Principal Accounting Officers Regulations 2021.

The AGP stated that the new rates should have been set with the Finance Division’s approval and through the prescribed legal procedure.

Additionally, the AGP found that the MoFA outsourced Apostille courier services to five private companies—TCS, Leopards, Gerry’s, M&P, and Excellent Courier Services (ECS)—without conducting open tenders, setting selection criteria, or evaluating their business profiles. This practice contravened Rule 20 of the Public Procurement Rules, which mandates open bidding for procuring goods, services, and works.

The AGP expressed concerns over ECS, noting that the company had no established business profile before being awarded the contract and lacked registration under the Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan (SECP) or federal or provincial sales tax systems. The audit recommended that the Departmental Accounts Committee (DAC) direct the ministry to conduct a fact-finding inquiry and issue a tender to ensure transparency in the outsourcing process.