Replies to Feedback received by RAA

Feedback: Received via Royal Audit Authority's Webpage

Name: Tashi Legso
Email: Tashilegso@hotmail.com
The visitor commented:
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Dear Sir,
Under the clause 7, sub clause 7.1 \"..Unfair methods used for availing any extra entitlement are strictly prohibited\", is not much followed by Auditors. They demand free lodging and fooding with facilities of pool vehicles and telephones from the auditees.
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Date/Time: 04/11/2002 15:54:54

Auditor General's reply to Mr. Tashi Legso

Dear Sir,

Thank you for your valuable information. We appreciate your concern as a loyal citizen/human being.  

If auditors had used "Unfair methods for availing any extra entitlement such as free lodging and fooding with facilities of pool vehicles and telephones from the auditees", we agree with you, it is not acceptable.

However, we hope these are exceptions.  I do have faith in Auditors as they are bound by professional code in the first place. Secondly as well remunerated public servants, they do not have the right/authority to DEMAND free lodging and food with facilities, the use of pool vehicles and telephones. If they had demanded, auditees have all the right not to oblige or reject particularly, if these compromise their integrity.

Complaints must be made to the Team Leader or Division Chief forthwith. Where it is not advisable, the Auditor General could be informed. We have email facility, fax and a suggestion system. 

Auditors however sometimes have to request the auditees to assist in arrangement for lodging and food where auditors on their own cannot do so in remote and difficult places. For example auditors visiting a school in a very remote place could request the head teacher or the Dzongkhag for arrangements for their fooding and stay. Where an auditor has not been provided with transport and there is no other means to reach there then by requesting the use of an auditees transport to carry out the lawful duty, I do not see any problem. Because the crime is not travelling in an organizations' transport if it was for the purpose of auditing, and was not used for the auditors’ personal work or benefit.  

Occasional dinners and lunches arranged by the auditees who coincidently may happen to be relatives, friends and associates cannot be termed as the demand from auditors. As such the use of pool vehicles and telephones, it must fully be determined on the nature of purpose to be recorded in the documents. Similar arguments should also apply to the telephone calls. Whatsoever the auditors are liable to pay for services if it was not for bonafide official work.   

Obliging to the demands of the auditors’ unreasonable and unjustified non-job related needs itself would mean pleasing the auditors. In short, why should any Auditee oblige an auditor if he/she fears is not agreeable to his principles? 

But we would also like people to be empathetic with an auditor given certain situations and circumstances that may be beyond his means or could not be avoided. He is also a human being and as well a public servant like most of the more privileged ones with access to all kinds of supports.

He is not a saint while he will try not to be crook. At difficult places and if friends and relatives offer him a hospitality without strings let him also enjoy a modicum of the benefits of the niceties and the pleasures of the society, as much as you would have to if placed in his shoes. 

However, if you have a specific case that need to be taken care of please kindly contact the Auditor General directly at:

kwangdi@druknet.bt / better_bhutan@druknet.net.bt

Or  

Fax no: 323491 or Phone No. 322858.

We appreciate your thought and concern. People like you make us feel that we exist and we have a purpose and mission. Please continue with your goodness for all our betterment.

Thank you Tashi? !

Sincerely
Auditor General of Bhutan