Audit Reveals Discrepancy in National Assembly Travel Vouchers

ISLAMABAD: An audit report has brought to light that the National Assembly Secretariat disbursed privilege travel vouchers valued at Rs1.16 billion to Members of the National Assembly (MNAs) during the fiscal years spanning 2021-22 to 2023-24. The audit identified a variance of Rs161 million between the total vouchers issued and the expenditure formally documented.

The report by the Auditor General of Pakistan (AGP) indicates that the National Assembly administration declared an expenditure of Rs1 billion related to the reimbursement and cashing of privilege travel vouchers throughout the specified timeframe.

However, audit representatives noted that the NA Secretariat did not align the actual expenditure from cashing these vouchers, which were reimbursed by the State Bank of Pakistan and recorded by the Accountant General Pakistan Revenues (AGPR).

Characterizing the inconsistency as “irregular and unauthorised,” the audit report highlighted weaknesses in the internal financial reporting controls within the National Assembly Secretariat.

The Departmental Accounts Committee (DAC), which convened on January 31, 2025, instructed the NA administration to reconcile the figures pertaining to the encashment of travel vouchers and present the relevant documentation to the audit authorities.

When contacted for an official statement, the National Assembly secretariat hesitated to provide an on-the-record response. Nevertheless, an official, speaking anonymously, stated that the reconciliation process is ongoing but requires significant time.

The official further noted that the majority of the outstanding reconciliation cases involve MNAs from the provinces of Sindh and Balochistan.