KARACHI: The Audit Team of International Maritime Organization (IMO) warned the Ministry of Maritime Affairs that focal persons need to be trained on the Quality Management System so that they can align their management systems with QMS.

In most of the findings which IMO auditors framed against various state administrations, they observed that the management procedures, processes and evaluation of performance in respect of implementation of international conventions/ obligations have not been found as per Quality Management System (QSM).  During audit, it observed that management systems of different stakeholders like Port Qasim Authority and Mercantile Marine Department were not aligned with QMS. Even some focal persons were not educated on the QMS, the Team added.  The auditors also discovered that as per Establishment Division letter dated 09-04-2021, it was clear that there is no provision of look after charge in Civil Servants Act, 1973 and Rules made there under. However, in traditional official practice, to run the day to day business of an office, an officer was deputed temporarily as an internal arrangement to look after the work of another post for disposal of day to day work of urgent nature.  As a matter of principle, the senior most officers are normally asked by the head of the Division/ Department to look after the work of a post when its incumbent is temporarily away.   

The auditors observed that at present only one Nautical Surveyor (BS-18) in MMD Karachi was working on regular basis and amazingly he was also holding additional charges of the posts of Chief Nautical Surveyor (BS-20), Deputy Chief Nautical Surveyor (BS-19) and two Nautical Surveyors (BS-18) in addition to his own duties. He was looking after the charge of the post of Chief Nautical Surveyor which is a post of BS-20. He was looking after this post since 02-11-2012, a Herculean task surprisingly.  Hence, the Audit declared that this prolonged look after charge held by Qasim Saeed is irregular causing administrative anomalies. The audit team recommended that the look after charge of Qasim Saeed need to be reviewed immediately, the sources said.