The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) recently examined audit reports for the Economic Affairs Division and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for the fiscal year 2023-24, revealing significant financial discrepancies.
The Economic Affairs Division received a grant of Rs 12.97 billion, with Rs 122 million returned unutilized. An additional Rs 46.19 billion was utilized in the fiscal year 2022–23 due to exchange rate fluctuations attributed to currency depreciation. PAC member Omar Ayub Khan criticized the finance ministry’s foreign exchange predictions, highlighting the dollar’s surge from Rs180 to Rs256, and expressed concern over economic management.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs had outstanding dues of Rs991 million related to the Pakistan Community Welfare and Education Fund, with a lack of transparency in reconciliation. Pakistan’s embassy in Kathmandu purchased a 32-kanal plot in 1984 for $458,496, with plans to construct a residential complex in 2008 for $4.71 million. However, construction has yet to commence, leading to Rs 181.17 million in rental expenses over the years.
The Berlin mission failed to deposit Rs 97 million collected in consular receipts into the national treasury for over a year. The London and Paris missions incurred unauthorized expenditures of Rs 49 million on contingent staff salaries without prior approval.
The PAC expressed strong discontent over these financial mismanagements and instructed immediate resolutions within 15 days. These findings underscore the need for improved financial oversight and accountability within government ministries to prevent further economic discrepancies.
