PESHAWAR: The Auditor General of Pakistan issued an audit report for 2022-23, highlighting severe financial irregularities in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP).
During FY 2021-22, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) faced significant financial mismanagement, resulting in various departments suffering notable irregularities and embezzlements amounting to a staggering Rs. 551.33 billion.
The report highlighted irregularities amounting to Rs. 128.11 crore relating to employees. It revealed Rs. 162.3 crore in funds misappropriated for capital investment, Rs. 522.6 million in unauthorized payments, and reported irregularities of Rs. 13.65 billion in 41 different cases.
The lack of record availability led to a loss of Rs. 569 million, while non-payment of fines and other factors resulted in a loss of Rs. 2.2419 billion to the Finance. Non-recovery of taxes led to a loss of Rs. 4.5862 billion.
Furthermore, inadequate recovery and reduced receipts in 68 cases imposed a burden of Rs. 11.7345 billion. In total, the mismanagement caused a loss of Rs. 514 billion to the provincial treasury.
According to the audit report, contractors were found to be involved in additional payments, suspicious payments, deception, and misappropriation of Rs. 2.20 billion in procurement. Unnecessary expenditures caused a loss of Rs. 243.5 million to the treasury. During the fiscal year 2021-22, various departments of KP incurred irregularities from specific budgets.
The Administration and Establishment Department accounted for Rs. 254.8 million, Communication and Works Department for Rs. 1.72 billion, Education Department Rs. 894.12 million, Energy and Power Department Rs. 1.013 billion, Environment, Forests, and Wildlife Department Rs. 315.8 million, Health Department for Rs. 173mn, Home and Tribal Affairs Department for Rs. 351.3 million.
Irrigation Department for Rs. 210 million, Local Government and Rural Development Department for Rs. 736 crore, Mines and Minerals Department for Rs. 195.98 crore, Public Health Engineering Department for Rs. 74 crore, Sports, Tourism, Culture, Youth Affairs, Archaeology, and Museum Department for Rs. 206.7 million, and Transport Department for Rs. 490 million, says the report.
The audit report further revealed that 16 departments exceeded their allocated budgets, resulting in additional expenditures of Rs. 37.1389 billion. The General Administration Department accounted for Rs. 4.14 million, Treasury, Triggers, and Local Fund Audit for Rs. 0.73 million, Planning and Development for Rs. 7.907 million, Administration of Justice for Rs. 7.986 million, Animal Husbandry for Rs. 32.185 million, Pension for Rs. 43.957 million, Development for Rs. 87.157 million.
The Urban and Rural Development for Rs. 15.252 million, Public Health Engineering for Rs. 3.48 million, Education and Training for Rs. 2.078 million, Health Services for Rs. 191.748 million, Irrigation Reforms for Rs. 3.428 million, Highways Construction for Rs. 1.65 million, Tribal Areas Development for Rs. 178.315 million, Tribal Areas Expenditures for Rs. 39.945 million, and obtaining loans from the federal government resulted in an amount of Rs. 36.5173 billion, added the report.
