KARACHI: Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah said internal audit system has been developed in all the government departments including local government for effective and appropriate management risk and to fill the gaps in policies and procedures.

The CM expressed these views he said while talking to Auditor General of Pakistan Javaid Jahangir who called on him at the CM House. He was accompanied by DG Audit Sindh Minadad Rahoojo, DG Local Council Javed Zia Burni, Director to AGP Kashif Hussain. Principal Secretary to CM Sajid Jamal Abro and Secretary Finance Hassan Naqvi also attended the meeting.

The chief minister said the audit paras generated even in those issues where small gaps of procedures were left. At this the AGP said he has started improving the audit system under which focus would be paid to transitional issues instead of procedural issues.

The chief minister said the Public Accounts Committee of the provincial assembly was holding maximum meetings so that backlog of audit paras could be discussed and settled. "Our PAC has taken up 2016-17 audit matters while it was much ahead than the other provinces and even of the federal government," he said.

Secretary Finance Hassan Naqvi pointed out that the newly created district of Sujawal has not been included in the Statement of Accounting Concept (SAC) which was creating problems. The AGP Javaid directed his provincial head to note it and resolve the issues.

It was also pointed out that the SAC system was very slow and it usually took hours to open for submission of statements. The AGP assured the provincial government that he would resolve the issues at earliest.

The chief minister said he had strengthened internal audit in the local bodies so that procedural and transitional issues could be managed. He added that he was working to transfer payment of salaries to local bodies' employees through Accountant General Sindh.

The provincial government and AGP resolved to work together in better understanding and coordination so that transitional transparency could be ensured.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2020