For the first time, most overpayments flagged in Auditor General’s report resolved

The 2022 Auditor General’s Report was handed over to the Speaker of the National Assembly Manzoor Nadir on Friday and Auditor General General Deodat Sharma said for the first time, most overpayments flagged by his office have already been refunded.

“For this year, for the first time, all the overpayments, except for Region One and 10, everybody refunded their overpayment.

“It never happened before, so they respect the (Audit) Office now and with the help of the Finance Secretary and the Accountant General we were able to get back all the overpayments,” Mr. Sharma told the News Room after the report was handed over.

Numerous overpayment concerns were raised in the past when the annual reports were examined in the National Assembly’s Public Accounts Committee (PAC).

After handing over the 2021 report last year, the Auditor General noted that there were fewer contract overpayments recorded during that year.

The findings of the Audit Office, detailed in the 2022 report, will only be made public once the report is laid in the National Assembly.

Aside from overpayment resolutions, Mr. Sharma pointed out that his office is building capacity to conduct an increasing number of audits at government ministries and agencies.

There has been an important focus, he said, on developing capacity to audit the nascent oil and gas sector.