Pakistan: Audit flags financial irregularities worth billions in Punjab province

Lahore [Pakistan], December 20 (ANI): Financial irregularities amounting to billions of rupees have been detected in Pakistan's local government institutions across the southern region of the Punjab Province, The Express Tribune reported, citing the Auditor General of Pakistan's audit report for the financial year 2022-23, released on Saturday.
The audit, which examined the accounts of Pakistan's 128 local government institutions, revealed serious lapses, including non-production of financial records, violations of prescribed procedures and irregularities related to pension payments.
The most significant issue identified was the non-production of records worth PKR 12.87 billion in 53 cases. Procedural violations involving PKR 9.14 billion were reported in 368 cases, while additional financial irregularities amounting to PKR 101.42 billion were flagged in 472 cases, as reported by The Express Tribune.
The report also pointed to fraud and misappropriation totalling PKR 14.2 million in three cases, along with pension-related irregularities of PKR 95.8 million in another three cases.
A key concern highlighted by the audit was the absence of effective internal control mechanisms. According to The Express Tribune, districts in southern Punjab lack functional internal audit departments, with mismanagement and negligence identified as major factors behind financial lapses.
While audit teams reported recoveries exceeding PKR 7.1 billion, the report noted that only PKR 114.5 million of the recovered amount could be independently verified.
The audit issued several directives to Principal Accounting Officers (PAOs), including the immediate production of missing records, disciplinary action against officials responsible for non-compliance, and enquiries to determine responsibility for cases involving fraud, misappropriation, and wasteful expenditure, The Express Tribune reported.
PAOs have also been directed to speed up the recovery of government dues and investigate instances of unauthorised use of administrative and financial powers. The report emphasised strict compliance with the Punjab Procurement Rules for all procurement of goods and services.
To avoid similar issues in the future, the audit recommended the establishment of effective internal control and monitoring systems within local governments. It also mandated the submission of life certificates for pensioners and no-remarriage certificates in family pension cases. (ANI)