Tacking the issue: Greater checks for audit, accounts officers

Meeting decided to streamline procedures

PESHAWAR: The Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa government has decided to put greater checks on the authority of audit and accounts officers. It also decided to use information technology to decentralise and streamline audit and accounts procedures in all districts of the province. The government urged the finance department to release public funds immediately.

A meeting was held between Finance Minister Muzaffar Said and K-P Accountant General (AG) Sharifullah Khan Wazir at the Civil Secretariat Peshawar. Issues related to public complaints against audit officers and their performances were discussed.

It was also decided both the finance minister and accountant general would jointly pay surprise visits to various district account and audit offices in the province. These visits will be conducted after the budget session in order to oversee progress.



“These joint efforts will eliminate corruption from the finance and audit departments altogether,” said the accountant general. He maintained a large percentage of the “black sheep” had already been eliminated from the respective departments.

While speaking to The Express Tribune, Muzaffar Said stressed it is not viable for the provincial government to make its retired officials travel to Peshawar and wait for hours to get timely disposal of pensions. “We need an automated and localised system to streamline the workings of the finance department so that timely release of funds and cheques can be ensured,” he said. The minster also said locals should also have the facility to get their funds and salaries from nearby banks.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 13^th, 2016.