DUSHANBE, February 9, 2016, Asia-Plus — Financial losses revealed by the Accounts Chamber during the last year have been estimated at 160 million somoni (TJS), which was nearly 90 million somoni more than in 2014, the Accounts Chamber head Dilmurod Davlatzoda announced at a news conference in Dushanbe on February 9.
A totaled reportedly included illegal expenditures estimated at some 12.4 million somoni, shortages and embezzlement of material and financial means estimated at more than 5.5 million somoni, doctored construction records estimated at more than 10.9 million somoni, losses from sale and lease of state-owned property estimated at 1.7 million somoni, tax evasion losses estimated at 74.3 million somoni, etc.
According to Davlatzoda, the Accounts Chamber conducted 438 audits at ministries, agencies, state-run economic entities, banks and other federally funded institutions last year.
“According to findings by the Accounts Chamber, untargeted use of state funds has cost the country more than 98.862 million somoni over the report period, inefficient use of funds has cost the country 135.456 million somoni, embezzlement of funds – 211.861 million somoni, unreasonable expenditure of reserves of lending agencies – 28.466 million somoni, and so forth,” the Accounts Chamber chief said.
He noted that only 35 percent (56.2 million somoni) of the last year’s financial losses has been reimbursed.
We will recall that Tajikistan’s lower chamber (Majlisi Namoyandagon) of parliament passed the law on the establishment of the Accounts Chamber on June 1, 2011. This government institution reportedly controls revenue and expenditure parts of the national budget, off-budget funds and investments coming into the country’s economy from abroad. The Accounts Chamber was reportedly established to tighten control of finances as well as conduct audit and assess the national budget. The Accounts Chamber is accountable to the President and the Parliament. The Majlisi Namoyandagon elects chief auditors of the Chamber of Accounts upon the recommendation of the President; chief auditor may be elected to not more than two seven-year terms.
