Audit report reveals HRCM members obtained travel allowances against Public Finance Act

An Audit report of the Human Rights Commission of the Maldives (HRCM) has revealed that the Commission’s members had collected travel allowances against the Public Finance Act.

The HRCM Audit Report for the financial year 2012 released by the Auditor General’s Office stated that the commission members have been awarded travel and food allowances during against the Public Finance Act during some of their travels.

“It must be noted that travel allowances and food allowances were paid at a larger rate than the rate stipulated by 5.09 and 5.19 of the Finances Circular number 01/2012,” the report stated.

Additional discrepancies noted in the report include instances where HRCM had failed to seek signature from parties who were awarded projects of value less the MVR 25,000, and notes that this is against the Finance Regulation.

The HRCM Audit Report for the financial year 2012 also stated that even though the Finance Regulation stated that any purchase exceeding a sum of MVR 25,000 or any project of value exceeding MVR 25,000 shall have cost quotations from at least three different sources, and noted instances where the HRCM had failed to seek the three different quotations.

Reflecting on the whole of the the HRCM Audit Report for the financial year 2012, the Auditor General noted that the Commission had adhered to the Finances Act and Finances Regulation when spending the budget they had been granted by the Parliament for the year 2012, and had advised the commission to correct the things they have done against the Finance Act in the future.