Senate seeks 16 year audit of Federal spending on provincial matters

The Senate Sub Committee on Devolution has directed the Auditor General of Pakistan and the Controller General of Accounts

Islamabad: The Senate Sub Committee on Devolution has directed the Auditor General of Pakistan and the Controller General of Accounts to provide audited details of federal spending on ministries, departments and other organisations dealing with provincial and Council of Common Interests subjects over the last 16 years.

The committee reviewed the audited expenditure details submitted by the Auditor General of Pakistan and the Controller General of Accounts concerning ministries, attached departments, programmes, institutions, statutory bodies, corporations and companies that the federal government has retained or continued since 2011 in matters linked to provincial and CCI subjects.

The demand covers the period from 2011 to 2026 and is aimed at finding out how much money has been spent by the federal government on functions connected with provincial and CCI matters after the implementation of the 18th Constitutional Amendment. The committee has sought audited figures rather than general estimates.

During the meeting, the convener expressed displeasure that the Auditor General and the Controller General of Accounts had not received the meeting agenda notice. He then directed both offices to submit the audited amount of expenditure on ministries and organisations established or retained for CCI and provincial matters during the last 16 years.

The convener said the total amount could run into trillions of rupees, but the record provided to the committee does not give a final audited figure. The committee therefore asked the two financial oversight institutions to provide the actual audited amount before drawing further conclusions about the spending.

The audit exercise covers not only ministries but also attached departments, programmes, institutions, statutory bodies, corporations and companies that have continued to operate at the federal level in areas connected with provincial or CCI subjects.

The committee’s action came as it examined compliance with the 18th Constitutional Amendment, which changed the division of responsibilities between the federal government and provinces. The committee said its review of expenditure was necessary to establish the financial cost of keeping such institutions and functions at the federal level.

The committee also recorded concern over spending on devolved or CCI-related matters during a period of economic pressure. It directed that the audited figures should be produced so that the actual cost could be established from official financial records.