The Ministry of Finance has not delayed the printing or publishing of the special audit report on COVID-19 related spending prepared by the Auditor General of Pakistan. Conduct of such audits is the sole prerogative of the Office of the Auditor General.
One of the structural benchmarks of the IMF’s Extended Fund Facility is an ex-post audit by the Auditor General of the ‘procurement of urgently needed medical supplies related to Covid’. To clarify the correct factual position, the Government considers this benchmark as essential to bringing about greater transparency to its pandemic response, which has been supported by our development partners, including the IMF.
Going by the contents of the news item, it appears that the scope of the Auditor General’s special audit report is far broader than the structural benchmark of the IMF’s Extended Fund Facility, and the Ministry of Finance’s understanding is that the special audit report is still to be scrutinized and finalized by the Auditor General.
The Ministry is engaged with the Office of the Auditor General for meeting the specific benchmark of the Extended Fund Facility. Though with a slight delay, the benchmark will be met successfully.
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