“The RAA exposed pervasive flaws in the construction sector… the RAA revealed significant financial irregularities, the RAA finds persistent quality issues…”

The Royal Audit Authority’s latest annual report is interesting according to some, concerning says others, as the report highlights numerous lapses, shortfalls or mismanagement of public funds.

Why is it happening? What is being done or not being done? Who is taken to task or is it the RAA doing a brilliant job? These are the questions many ask as the local media reproduces the report.

The expectation was that with transformation in the civil service, the call for transparency, the repeated command for efficiency, improved public service delivery and the need to boldly embrace accountability would improve the management of our resources. The RAA’s annual reports are no different from the past years, even decades.

it is a failure to see the lapses and shortfalls pointed every year.  With the call for changes and numerous transformation exercises, our annual reports, including that of the RAA should be encouraging – an indication of transformations cleaning the system. It is not, going by the reports.

The audits observation of non- compliance with regulations and lapses in financial managements with particular attention drawn to advance payments, overdue penalties, and misuse of funds, are worrying. The call for change, including from the Golden Throne is to embrace accountability, save or be prudent with  our scarce resources, improve service delivery, and refocus on the national priorities has fallen on deaf ears going by the reports.

Every year, for many years, public resources are mismanaged, misused or embezzled according to audit reports. This does not align with the national priorities. There is a grand vision and hope for a better Bhutan. This includes better management of public resources, transparency and accountability, but it seems not to be happening. The call for Ngar (grit), the pinpointing of inefficiency, nepotism and red tape seems to have not made any difference.

The RAA has recommended immediate recovery, adjustment of advances and enforce stricter measures to save public resources. This is not new. The RAA had been doing this for years when they started making the reports public. With advice from the Golden Throne the government has made it clear that Bhutan cannot afford corruption in both the public or the private sector, corruption being the root of the problems faced by many developing countries.

If misuse of public funds, financial irregularities, lapses in financial management or flaws in our systems encourages corruption, it is a potential threat to growth, development and even internal stability.