Government’s arrears rise to Rs 1183 billion: OAG

KATHMANDU, JUNE 30: The government’s arrears have climbed to over Rs 1183 billion to date, according to the 61st report of the Office of the Auditor General. The report is based on the audit of all three tiers of government as of the fiscal year 2022/23.

Speaker of the House of Representatives, Devraj Ghimire, said that increasing arrears in public offices is a cause for concern. Speaking at the 66th anniversary of the Office of the Auditor General on Saturday, Speaker Ghimire asserted that the responsible authorities in public agencies should take the issue of increasing arrears seriously.

Calling for promptness in clearing arrears, Ghimire urged the concerned authorities to implement the recommendations in the report of the Office of the Auditor General, thereby reducing arrears and maintaining financial discipline and accountability.

He commented that the performance of account committees at the local level was not satisfactory. He emphasized that the concerned authorities and accounting heads at public offices should realize their responsibilities to prevent arrears from occurring in the first place and to expedite the clearance of existing arrears.

The Speaker also requested the Office of the Auditor General to fulfil its responsibilities as stipulated in the constitution of our country.

Similarly, Rishikesh Pokharel, chairman of the Public Accounts Committee under the federal parliament, urged the Office of the Attorney General to proceed with its work in maintaining fiscal discipline and good governance more effectively. He argued that we could achieve effective results by considering changes in our working style. Pokharel advocated for the autonomy of the Office of the Auditor General in accordance with the federal setup.

He lamented that deliberation on the report of the Office of the Auditor General had not been held in the parliamentary committees for a long time. According to Pokharel, deliberation is currently underway on the 60th report of the OAG in the Public Accounts Committee.

He demanded punishment for those employees in public offices who perpetuate arrears.

Likewise, Auditor General Toyam Raya pledged to make the audit system more refined and effective. According to him, the parliamentary committees and parliaments could play a significant role in addressing the problems pointed out by his office's report. The auditing was carried out in compliance with the law and considering factors such as competence, effectiveness, and relevance, among others, he shared. -- RSS

 

 

 

 

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