33 sources of corruption in offices under FM

The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC), in a recent report, has identified at least 33 potential sources of corruption in the various accounts offices under the finance ministry and recommended 21 possible ways to combat these corruption in a recent report.

An ACC team, one of the 25 teams formed by the commission to control and prevent corruption in 25 organisations in 2017, came up with the report. It was submitted by the ACC commissioner Md Mozammel Haque Khan to the office of finance minister AHM Mustafa Kamal in Sher-e-Bangla Nagar on Monday.

The report showed that the departments for accounts officers collected money every so often from various government employees. These offices allegedly hold pension funds of retired officers while some of them embezzled government funds by making fake travel allowance and entertainment bills. They also take money to release funds for development projects.

Immediately after receiving the ACC report, the finance minister spoke to media. He said, “The prime minister said she would not tolerate any kind of corruption in state affairs. It was her promise to the people before the election. People believed in her and voted for her.”

“I want those who work with me, never to indulge in any corruption. We have to make sure that no office staff, even the man who makes tea or carries files, benefits through corruption in any way,” he added.

The ACC believes that its recommendations are realistic and can eliminate corruption, hassles and delays in government services, said the ACC commissioner Md Mozammel Haque Khan.

Sources of corruption and recommendations

Other that fake travel and recreation allowance bills, the accounts offices embezzled government money in various ways.

There are irregularities and corruption on a large scale in issuing service statements and service book verification. The offices take money for pay-fixation, opening general provident fund (GPF) accounts and GPF-related services, and during the payment of various bills for government building, cars, motorcycles, computers, from the primary school teachers and staffs during the payment of gratuity fund.

The commission introduced 21 recommendation to combat corruption in the accounts sector. The list includes, increasing the work force and adopting automated systems, using electronic methods of payment, facilitiating complaint filing and so on. It also recommended the rule of transferring government officers every three years strictly and resolving pension related issues in five to seven days.

It also recommended punishment for delay or any irregularity in disbursement of payment of all kinds of bills, including salary and allowances. The commission suggested launching a ‘hotline’ to receive complaints and take necessary steps accordingly.