Dechen Dolkar 

The Yanki Enterprise falsely claimed Nu 156,000 from Phuentsholing Thromde for hiring of vehicle to transport waste from the old to the new landfill, according to the annual audit report 2022-2023.

The Phuentsholing Thromde office had paid the bills submitted by Yanki Enterprise for earth-moving machinery, but which could not be used to transport waste as indicated in the bill.

The report states that during the verification of the documents provided by Yanki Enterprise, the audit identified instances where tampering may have occurred, leading to the inclusion of irrelevant claims in the documents. 

The audit found discrepancies when they verified the vehicle specifications stated in the bill and cross-checked it with the regional office of Bhutan Construction and Transport Authority (BCTA) in Phuentsholing. The actual vehicle specifications differed from those specified in the bills.

“The intention of the firm seems to mislead the organisation by manipulating the information for personal gain,” the report stated. It demonstrated sheer negligence and a failure to exercise due diligence in carrying out the work.

The audit had requested the Phuentsholing Thromde administration to provide an explanation for the lapses and to establish an appropriate internal control system. Failure to do so would result in the recovery of the entire amount, which should then be deposited into the Audit Recoveries Account.

The Phuentsholing Thromde office had accepted the lapses, attributing them to a lack of due diligence by officials concerned during the final verification and approval of the contractor’s bills.

The audit recommended that the Thromde administration take appropriate administrative action against the concerned officials for failing in their responsibilities.

It also recommended that the Thromde administration bring the matter of intentional misrepresentation of facts by the hiring agent to the attention of an appropriate competent authority and hold the firm accountable.