24 December, 2007 - The Royal Audit Authority (RAA) has recovered more than Nu 70 million this year, from unresolved irregularities in the government budget, the highest so far, say audit officials.
With last year’s recovery at Nu 45.651 million and Nu 29.771 million recovered in 2005, audit officials attribute this year’s recovery to the rigorous follow-up on unresolved reports and cooperation of the agencies to fulfill the directives of the National Assembly, according to RAA spokesperson, Tashi.
The 87th National Assembly session in July this year had directed the government to resolve all outstanding audit findings by December 2007.
The RAA spokesperson said that there were about 1,200 unresolved reports from the ministries, agencies, dzongkhags and gewogs. “Some of these reports included outstanding dues that dated back to the 1970s,” he said. Also last year, the total amount of unresolved government budget irregularities was Nu 106 million, according to the 2006 audit report.
RAA officials said that they had about five months to work on resolving all outstanding reports and, therefore, RAA drew up an action plan with tentative time schedules to discuss pending issues with the respective ministries and agencies. “We’re very much on the right track. We’ve almost completed the field work for all outstanding audit findings,” said the RAA spokesperson. “Ministries and agencies were very supportive because they understood the time constraint and the directive that came from the highest authority.”
RAA will compile the reports and submit them to the government, latest by the second week of January, 2008, according to the spokesperson. He also said that, with the new government coming in place next year, the government would start afresh, because RAA would have reviewed most pending observations and reports.
Meanwhile, RAA is in the process of compiling its annual report, which would be presented to the National Assembly in July next year.
By Phuntsho Choden
phuntshochoden@kuensel.com.bt
