KATHMANDU, June 2: Tribhuvan University (TU) has instructed its subordinate entities to complete the final audit for the current fiscal year by the end of the current fiscal year (mid-July).
The TU administration warned that it will withhold fund disbursements from entities that fail to meet the audit deadline.
Registrar Prof Dr Kedar Prasad Rijal issued the directive during a discussion program on audits and financial irregularities, which the university's Audit Division and Financial Administration Division jointly organized.
TU has taken the findings of the 62nd report by the Office of the Auditor General seriously and instructed its entities to complete their final audits for fiscal year 2080/81 on time, according to university spokesperson Yamansingh Bohora.
"Registrar Prof Dr Kedar Prasad Rijal has directed 105 entities pending audit for the current fiscal year-and a total of 179 entities, including those with overdue audits from previous years—to complete their final audits by mid-July," Bohora told Republica. "He also warned that the university will withhold fund disbursements if any entity fails to complete the audit, regardless of the excuse."
Registrar Rijal also urged officials to promptly report any technical or other issues to the central office.
Heads and finance officers from constituent campuses, central departments, research centers, hospitals, and other entities within the Kathmandu Valley that have yet to complete their final audit for fiscal year 2080/81 attended the program held at Tribhuvan University's Smriti Bhawan in Kirtipur.
Pushpa Narayan Shrestha, head of the Audit Division, reported that only 59 entities have completed their final audit for the fiscal year, while 105 entities are still pending.
He shared that they had received complaints about staff assigned by the Office of the Auditor General being ignored, not given sufficient time, and entity heads and finance officers shirking their responsibilities.
Shrestha emphasized that ensuring timely audits and controlling irregularities are the primary responsibilities of entity heads, and directed them to prioritize these tasks.
He also instructed the officials to take the issues raised in the 62nd report of the Auditor General seriously, to provide additional allowances only with the approval of the central office or the decision of the executive council-ensuring the total does not exceed 60 percent, to conduct regular physical inspections, reconcile banking transactions regularly, and prepare financial reports by the 15th of every Shrawan each year.
Rajesh Singh Devkota, Head of the Financial Administration Division at TU, emphasized that audits play a crucial role in maintaining financial discipline and urged all entities to take ownership of the process.
He pointed out that many of the TU's 162 financial entities have yet to complete their final audits, raising serious concerns about financial discipline and transparency. He called on all entities to create conditions that support the timely completion of audits.
Speaking at the program, Shankar Prasad Panthi, Deputy Auditor General at the Office of the Auditor General, reminded participants that the constitution grants his office the authority to audit public institutions. He also stated that both the Audit Act 2075 BS and the Tribhuvan University Act 2049 BS assign the responsibility of conducting final audits to the Office of the Auditor General.