ISLAMABAD: The Auditor General of Pakistan (AGP) informed the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) on Wednesday that the International Monetary Fund (IMF) has asked Pakistan to swiftly resolve pending audit objections of various ministries and institutions.
During a PAC session chaired by Junaid Akbar, AGP Ajmal Gondal revealed that the IMF expressed concern over the large backlog of unresolved audit paras, which reflect financial irregularities in state institutions.
The AGP disclosed that approximately 500,000 to 600,000 audit paras/objections related to different ministries and institutions are still pending.
He highlighted that the government has not appointed Chief Internal Accountants in state institutions despite clear directives from the Parliament, leading to a dysfunctional financial audit system.
“Performance audits of ministries and institutions are virtually non-existent,” Gondal remarked, adding that chief financial officers and secretaries of various institutions have failed to clear pending financial audits.
Currently, only 15 ministries have Chief Financial Officers (CFOs), while no institution has appointed Chief Internal Accountants, further weakening the internal audit system, he added.
The AGP noted that over 30,000 audit paras are pending with the PAC due to the lack of compliance with parliamentary orders.
In response, the PAC directed all ministries and institutions to submit detailed reports on their pending audit issues within one month.
