Chamber of Accounts: Expenses on gardening were overestimated

Baku / 08/31/17 / Turan: JSC Gardening Department (an entity of the Ministry of Ecology) seriously overstated the actual costs of its work compared to previous years. This is stated in the report of the Accounting Chamber on the results of inspections in the Ministry of Ecology for the period from January 1, 2015 to January 1, 2017.

In particular, the tariffs for the executed works and the forecasts for expenditures were inflated, which increased the budget expenditures.

In addition, works on irrigation of green plantations were transferred to entities that are not related to these functions in 2015-2016.

In turn, Gardening and Landscape Structure JSC, which is subordinate to the Ministry of Ecology, has distributed a statement in response to the report of the Accounting Chamber.

The statement says that during the audit no financial violations, misappropriations or thefts were revealed, and only some minor defects were found, concerning which the Chamber made some recommendations. These shortcomings were eliminated during the audit, the statement says. The authors of the statement also note that all the works are carried out in accordance with the regulations. The budget forecast also corresponds to the real situation, and in view of the increase in gardening, the forecast also increases.

The absence of a single approach when approving the staffing table is linked to various services provided by the gardeners.

With regard to the Chamber"s observation regarding certain risks related to the expenditure of budgetary funds on the basis of orders of some district executive authorities, the JSC answers that the instructions concerned only landscaping along the edges of the main highways.

The JSC does not consider a serious violation the Chamber's observation that the final percentage is below the norm by 3.2%.-0-