Razzaz instructs rectifying violations ahead of issuing audit

AMMAN — Prime Minister Omar Razzaz instructed the committee entrusted with examining the violations contained in the Audit Bureau’s report to begin rectifying the violations committed during 2018 before issuing the annual report for the same year.

The prime minister instructed the committee to address all institutions that have registered violations in 2018 to immediately begin rectifying their situations, setting the deadline for the process at February 14, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.  

Sami Dawood, the committee’s chairperson and the secretary general of the Council of Ministers, pointed out that the number of violations documented by the Audit Bureau for 2018 amounted to 616, while the number of institutions that committed violations was 84, noting that the aforementioned figure does not include violations committed by government-owned companies.

Dawood stressed that the committee will work incessantly until the process of correcting all violations contained in the Audit Bureau’s report is completed and before the issuance of the 2018 report.

The 2017 audit showed “multiple financial irregularities and violations”, which include 69 instances of financial corruption and fraud amounting to around JD2.3 million.

These violations were attributed to accountants, treasurers and tax collectors who “manipulated records and receipts”. 

The law requires presenting an annual report to the Lower House, which would outline any irregularities, deficiencies or weaknesses in the performance of the audited entities. The report should be presented at the beginning of the Parliament’s ordinary session, and at any other time the House of Representatives may require.

The bureau oversees the revenues, expenditures, deposits, advances, loans, settlements and warehouse accounts for all government ministries, departments, agencies, public official institutions and independent official entities.

It also oversees the municipal boards, syndicates, professional unions, charities and voluntary bodies, as well as companies where the government has a 50 per cent stake or more.