ISLAMABAD: The Ministry of Finance has refuted news reports appearing in a section of the press claiming that the first audit report of the present government reveals irregularities and corruption amounting to Rs. 270 billion by 40 government departments and ministries during FY 2018-19, says a press release issued on Monday.
Describing these reports categorically as baseless, misinformed and erroneous, the Ministry of Finance in an official statement has said that the Audit Report for FY 2019-20, like all audit reports, consists of preliminary observations: it identifies some gaps in completing formalities while processing different cases by government entities and indicates various shortcomings in the provision of documents to the audit teams in certain other instances. But to conclude that each procedural deficiency is tantamount to corruption is incorrect and misleading.
The Ministry of Finance would like to make it clear that by their very nature audit reports identify procedural deficiencies, and are not evidence of corruption – let alone ‘conclusive proof’ of corruption as certain sections of the media have attempted to portray. Furthermore, these audit reports are subsequently considered exhaustively at several forums, including by the departmental audit committees and the Public Accounts Committees, where ministries and other government institutions are given an opportunity to defend their cases and rectify the procedural shortcomings.–Agencies
