The Auditor General of Pakistan has expressed dissatisfaction over the revenue collection system of Sindh government, saying that the province's revenue collection mechanism needs to be improved specifically focusing on monitoring and supervision and a vigorous campaign be launched to recover arrears of property tax, motor vehicle tax, and electricity dues.
This AGP has expressed dissatisfaction in its audit report on the accounts of revenue receipts of government of Sindh for audit year of 2011-12, a copy of which is available with Business Recorder. The report recommended that internal control regime needed to be strengthened and Principal Accounting Officers (PAOs) required to minimise the occurrence of irregularities such as under assessment of government dues on account of property tax, Abiana, electricity duty etc.
Revenue collection mechanism needs to be improved specifically focusing on monitoring and supervision. The PAOs need to investigate the causes of non-achievement of revenue targets. The PAOs also need to fix targets on quarterly basis for the recovery of assessed dues, it said adding that they should devise some reward mechanism to expedite recovery/collection process of receipts.
The AGP has also recommended introduction of independent internal audit system in all departments of Government of Sindh for effective risk management and control, besides launching vigorous campaign to recover arrears of property tax, Motor Vehicle Tax and Electricity dues.
The report further said that the POAs must ensure convening of Departmental Accounts Committee meetings on regular basis. The duality of control in assessment of Abiana by Irrigation Department needs to be reviewed, it added. The Director General Audit, Sindh carries out audit of tax and non tax revenue receipts of the Government of Sindh collected by the Agriculture, Board of Revenue , Bureau of Supply and Prices, Co-operation, Education, Excise and taxation, Finance Department, Food Department, Forest, Health, Home, Industries Department, Irrigation & Power, Labour, Transport & Industries, Law, Livestock and Fisheries, Local Fund Audit, Mines and Mineral Department, Printing & Stationery, Public Health, SGA&CD, Tourism and Works & Services departments.
The various departments of Sindh Government collected revenue of Rs 37,140 million during the financial year 2010-11 against Rs 34,824 million collected in the financial year 2009-10. The actual collection of receipts increased by Rs 2,316 million (7 percent).