Tag: audit report

  • Cabinet rejects audit report of Rs40 billion irregularities detected in PM’s Covid package

    Cabinet rejects audit report of Rs40 billion irregularities detected in PM’s Covid package

    Minister of Information Fawad Chaudhry on Tuesday rejected the recently released audit report, which shows Rs40 billion irregularities detected in PM’s Covid package.

    “The cabinet rejected the audit report on Covid-19 spending and asked three relevant organisations to give their presentations in this regard,” revealed Fawad in a press conference after the cabinet meeting.

    Fawad said the finance ministry had already rejected the audit report and prime minister’s aide Dr Sania Nishtar had also clarified the position of her organisation, Ehsaas programme.

    The audit report was released last week as Pakistan gave in to the International Monetary Fund’s (IMF) pressure by releasing the audit report of expenditures incurred on Covid-19.

    The release of the report by the Ministry of Finance was one of the five prior actions that the IMF has asked Pakistan to implement if it wanted to get the $1 billion loan tranche by January next year.

  • Corona Relief Funds: Auditors find fictitious purchases of items worth Rs881 million by KP govt

    Corona Relief Funds: Auditors find fictitious purchases of items worth Rs881 million by KP govt

    Investigative reporter Zahid Gishkori has revealed that the country’s top auditors have pointed out fictitious purchases, huge irregularities, wasteful expenditures, and losses to public funds of more than Rs3 billion by the health department of the Government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP). According to a report published in The News, a special audit team of the Auditor General of Pakistan (AGP) found “fictitious purchases of items worth Rs881 million by the KP government”.

    “The auditors scrutinised the allocation of Rs8.8 billion made for the fiscal year 2019-20, including Rs7.8 billion released by the finance department KP government. Furthermore, auditors also audited an amount of Rs1.7 billion allocated by the finance department to the health department, home & TA department, and the Pandemic Response Effectiveness in Pakistan (PREP), KP, for fighting the Covid-19 pandemic,” read the report.

    “The auditors pointed to doubtful purchases of equipment worth Rs14.358 million, which included stockpiling and logistics, noticing irregularities in an amount of Rs1 billion, which was allocated for provision of death compensation under the relief package for frontline workers dealing with Covid-19.”

    The report also features irregularities in funds of Rs140 million, which were released to the Home and Tribal Affairs Department for screening of prisoners.

    “The audit team also pointed out that the management of PDMA incurred an expenditure of Rs62 million on the purchase of PPEs without any market survey. The audit team pointed to losses of Rs117 million public funds in the purchase of some specification cardiac monitors recommending a high-level inquiry for fixing responsibility and making good the loss sustained by the government,” stated the report.

    “The AGP also questioned non-supply of ICU ventilators despite payment of Rs43.425 million and non-supply of medical equipment worth Rs150 million. Auditors also recommended a doubtful award of contract and payment of Rs11 million to M/s Dawazai & Company, pointing out a supply of 400,000 substandard masks by M/s Protech Solutions to the PDMA accordingly.”

    Meanwhile, Finance & Health Minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Taimur Khan Jhagra tweeted, “[The report is] confusing, misleading & irresponsible; this article is based on an on-going audit process in the province.”

    However, as per The News, the complete audit report has been sent to President Arif Alvi.

  • Audit unearths Rs270,000,000,000 corruption, irregularities under PTI govt in one year

    Audit unearths Rs270,000,000,000 corruption, irregularities under PTI govt in one year

    The first audit report of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government has unveiled irregularities and corruption to the tune of Rs270 billion in 40 departments and ministries.

    According to Dawn, the Auditor General of Pakistan (AGP) has unearthed misappropriation and embezzlement of public funds to the tune of over Rs12 billion, with irregularities of government funds amounting to Rs258bn.

    The AGP’s report covers the fiscal year 2018-19 — the first year of the PTI government — and recommends strict action, including references, to investigation agencies against those responsible. The AGP has finalised its report on audit year 2019-20 and it would be submitted to parliament and the president in a couple of days.

    The report also disclosed that record for a number of entities and accounts was not given to audit teams in violation of rules.

    The audit revealed corruption and fake receipts in ministries and departments to the tune of Rs12.56 billion. It stated that recovery cases of Rs79.59 billion in federal ministries were reported and a record of Rs17.96 billion was not provided to the auditor general by government departments.

    The report further said that Rs8.89 billion in corruption cases had been recorded owing to weak internal controls and cases worth Rs152.20 billion were reported due to poor financial management.

    The AGP recommended that government institutions not be allowed to undertake expenditures unless approved from the parliament and similarly, to not allow supplementary grants to these institutions without the parliament’s approval.

    He recommended that corruption cases be handed over to investigative agencies.

    A government minister while commenting on the audit report said that such irregularities during the period of past governments used to involve up to Rs1,000 billion. Geo quoted Minister for Industries Hammad Azhar as saying the graph had come down by 80 per cent but added that the PTI government needed to improve it further.