Auditor General Office recovers Rs 160.20 b during 2017-18: PAC informed

Auditor General Office recovers Rs 160.20 b during 2017-18: PAC informed

ISLAMABAD, Dec 31 (APP):The Auditor General of Pakistan (AGP) on Monday apprised the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) that it had recovered Rs 160.20 billion during 2017-18 from public sector departments and organizations.
The Committee met at Parliament House with Leader of the Opposition Muhammad Shahbaz Sharif.

Director General AG office said that the AGP had made possible the recovery of Rs 394,733.69 million from December 2013 to June 2018 from various ministries and departments. He informed the Committee that total budget of AGP for year of 2017-18 was Rs 4.633 billion and for every rupee spent on it, it recovered Rs 34.83.
He said the PAC would have to take up 18,043 pending paras from 2010 to 2017-18 including 931 pending grants of the indicated period of various ministries and departments. He told that the AGP had completed the audit of metro-bus projects of Multan, Lahore, Rawalpindi, Peshawar, Orange Line Train, Pakistan Cricket Board, Circular debt of power sector and e-ticketing of Pakistan Railways. He said on the directive of Supreme Court of Pakistan, the AGP had conducted audit of pricing structure of water products of Nestle Pakistan, Thar Coal Gasification project, fee structure of private schools and special audit of losses of PIA.
The DG said presently, AGP is conducing audit of Central Power Purchase Authority, orange line (electrical component), forensic audit of four projects of EOBI, Billion Tree Tsunami project, audit of PM global sustainable development goals and oil pricing mechanism of Pakistan State Oil.
He said according to Auditor General Office, there were weaknesses in audit system and other problems that needed to be removed. The weaknesses include weak internal controls, persistent non-compliance of rules, variations between expenditure accounts, non-compliance of public procurement rules 2004, deficient contracts management, encroachment of state land, deficient asset management, delayed or non recovery of government dues and tax evasion.
He also sought cooperation of PAC for financial and administrative autonomy of AGP for effective operation and expansion in coverage and focus on adding value through achievements. The DG also asked PAC to cooperate in passage of AGP Ordinance 2001 from both the houses.
Responding to another question Auditor General of Pakistan Javaid Jehangir said AGP can only recommend action against the people involved in misuse of the funds.
At the beginning of the meeting, the Chairman PAC apprised the members that political parties in the Parliament had been asked to give names for the six sub-committees that would be constituted. “Soon after receiving names, the committees would be notified,” he added.

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