AGP says Nandipur power project audit not yet completed

ISLAMABAD: The issue of audit report of Nandipur power project once again took a new turn on Monday when department of Auditor General of Pakistan (AGP) said the report is still not finalised and only a study report was issued which cannot be termed an audit report.

The official announcement from the department of Auditor General stated, “The department wants to stress that there is no truth about the stories regarding audit of Nandipur project and repayment of Rs480 billion circular debt as the fact of the matter is that detailed special audit of Nandipur project is being carried out and will only be finalised after due process as laid down in the international standards.”

It said, “The story which was reported in certain sections of the press pertained to a special study which was carried out at the request of the Ministry of Water and Power and covered only specific TORs given by the ministry. As such it cannot be termed an audit report.”

The official announcement from the department clarified that the audit of Nandipur Project is being carried out and will only be finalised after due process as laid down in the international standards.

About special audit report on repayment of Rs480 billion circular debt, the AGP stated that the audit report was submitted to the president on December 04 for approval to lay it before the Parliament. “After approval of the president, the Parliamentary Affairs Division has been requested to include laying the special audit report in the agenda of the National Assembly and Senate,” it said.

It is to be mentioned that the PTI members in the PAC wanted that the Auditor General should share the audit report of payment of circular debt of Rs480 billion to independent power producers with the PAC that was already leaked in the media.

However, Auditor General Rana Asad Amin took a constitutional position that according to Article 171 of the Constitution, the AGP has to submit the report to the president who causes them to be laid before the Parliament and subsequently the National Assembly then refers these reports to the PAC, therefore, the report would be submitted through the prescribed channel. Later, when the PAC members insisted, the Auditor General agreed to give a raw copy of audit report to chairman PAC who has not shared with other members.