No bar on ACC grilling: PM

Asking the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) office to enhance its supervision, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina yesterday warned that the government will never tolerate corruption and financial irregularities.

“We'll never tolerate corruption and irregularities in financial matters. I want you to strengthen supervision,” she said.

Hasina said this while inaugurating the newly-constructed building of the International Supreme Audit Institute at Audit Bhaban in the capital's Kakrail area.

She laid emphasis on a modern auditing system for ensuring good governance and reducing corruption.

The premier mentioned that corruption in the country came down significantly during the two consecutive tenures of her government. “The Anti-Corruption Commission has been working more independently. If they want they can grill ruling party ministers and MPs. We'll never put obstacle to it.”

She said the audit division has to be built in a more time-befitting manner due to the huge expansion of economic activities in the country. “…you have to conduct institution-based audit, performance audit, IT audit and environmental audit. Besides, we need audits in attaining SDGs… That's why, I think, in conducting audits, it's essential to attain more skills,” she said.

Hasina mentioned that the Audit Monitoring and Management System (AMMS) will be launched soon. She hoped that this will connect all ministries and place their standard audit reports in parliament.

She said IT auditing has already begun in the country and people from the audit office are receiving training at home and abroad.

Also, security matters have to be taken into consideration whenever the digital system will be adopted.

Referring to the Bangladesh Bank incident, the PM said, “We introduced a digital system there, but the firewall was not there the way it was supposed to exist till then. That's why the illegal money transfer occurred. We need to look into those matters properly.”

She emphasised having an auditing process before government expenditure and in the middle of expenditure alongside public expenditure. “I believe this way the wastage of money and irregularities could be reduced to a great extent.”

Hasina asked the CAG office to work with more skill and professionalism for saving public money and establishing a corruption-free Bangladesh.