Kathmandu, December 10:

Government offices including the ministries have to settle dues to the tune of Rs 68.47 billion, which remain as outstanding money, irregularities, foreign aid yet to be reimbursed, and loan. Such amount until last year was Rs 65.84b, according to the Auditor General’s Report 2007.

According to the Report discussed today by the Parliamentary Public Accounts Committee (PAC), Finance Ministry, Ministry of Defence, Ministry of Physical Planning and Construction, Ministry of Education and Sports, Ministry of Home and Ministry of Local Development are the ones having the largest irregularities.

“It is not that there is no strict law for penalising the criminals, who are involved in irregularities, but the law and regulations are not implemented well. Therefore we get big irregularity every year,” Auditor General Gehendra Nath Adhikari told the PAC members today.

He said that there are agencies like Nepal Telecom, Nepal Commercial Bank, which distribute bonus when they make profit, but do not do anything when there is loss, which as a result is creating large amount like irregularities and arrears and irregularities yet to be settled. PAC has decided to summon the concerned ministries and agencies to discuss about regulating bonus distribution when the organisations had to bear loss for many years before making profit.

The Auditor General also suggested for forming a technical committee including economists and Chartered Accountants to suggest the cabinet while taking certain decisions like privatising the corporations. “Such a panel would study the international practices and advise the cabinet, otherwise there is a problem of many organisations going into liquidation and still paying their staffs,” he said.