''16 public sector entities refuse AGP audit''

As many as 16 government and semi-government entities have refused to allow the Auditor-General of Pakistan (AGP) to audit their accounts.
Additional Auditor-General Tanvir Ahmed identified the entities that refused AGP audit before the Senate''s Standing Committee on Finance: Securities Exchange Commission of Pakistan (SECP), Federal Board of Revenue (FBR), Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC), Pakistan Poverty Alleviation Fund (PPAF), People''s Primary Health Initiative (PPHI) Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Agri Business Support Fund, Pakistan Ordnance Factory (POF), National Bank of Pakistan (NBP), Pak-China Investment Company, Defence Housing Authority (DHA), Pakistan Telecommunication Company Limited (PTCL), National Database Registration Authority (NADRA), Virtual University, Lahore and National Press Trust. He said that the AGP was also conducting audits of the Supreme Court, National Assembly and Pakistan Army''s accounts.
Tanvir Ahmed noted that Rs 1.857 trillion of federal, provincial and district governments had been placed under audit observations during the audit year 2011-12. He said that Rs 4.474 billion of 9,000 entities of federal, provincial and district governments was audited during the audit year 2011-12 and the recovery of an amount of Rs 25.726 billion was made at the instance of audit while Rs 1.857 trillion was placed under audit observations.
Giving break up of the amount placed under observation, senior official of AGP stated that Rs 294.555 billion was recoverable whereas cases of fraud, embezzlement and theft amounting to Rs 24.299 billion were detected. The AGP was not provided record of Rs 32.145 billion whereas violation of rules and regulation was detected in utilisation of Rs 1.008 trillion. The audit authorities also detected accounting errors of Rs 5.072 billion and weaknesses of internal control of Rs 193.297 billion during the audit year. As much as Rs 300.069 billion was placed under audit observation on account of other heads.