'The money has not been appropriated, its direction has changed' - what is in the report of the Accounts Chamber and what is not…

A recent report from the Accounting Chamber has revealed that a portion of the funds allocated for COVID-19 relief in Azerbaijan has been redirected to other purposes. The report, presented to the Milli Majlis on April 25, also noted cases of budget funds not being spent for their intended purpose. The report stated that inefficient expenditures totaling 36.7 million manats were recorded in 16 institutions. The state budget allocated a total of 2.6 billion manats in 2020, 2021, and 2022 to combat coronavirus.

During the discussion, a member of the Milli Majlis Committee on Economic Policy, Industry and Entrepreneurship, Aydin Huseynov highly appreciated the work of the Accounting Chamber, stating to Turan that deviations from the appointment were detected during each audit conducted by the organization.

Economist Rashad Hasanov noted that violations like those reflected in the report are quite common in Azerbaijan, and that serious audits tend to occur only after the removal of a person from office, the loss of political authority, or the dissolution of a body.

Economist Nazim Baydamirli explained to Radio Azadlig that according to the Law "On the Budget System", arbitrary changes in expenditure items are prohibited without a corresponding decision of the Ministry of Finance. He criticized the lack of budgetary discipline in Azerbaijan and accused the inspecting and executive bodies of concealing each other's offenses.

Although the Accounting Chamber did not provide a separate statement on the matter, the report stated that materials on six control measures were sent to the Prosecutor General's Office and the State Security Service in 2022. The report emphasized the importance of spending budget funds for their intended purposes, and the need for greater transparency and accountability in the management of public funds.