PM vows zero tolerance of financial misconduct
Prime Minister Thongloun Sisoulith told the National Assembly this week that the ongoing violations of financial regulations by various state departments must be addressed and those found guilty punished. The premier was responding to questions raised by members of parliament concerning possible solutions to the problem after lawmakers learnt about the increasing number of violations in recent years. A report by the State Auditing Organisation to the ongoing ordinary session of the NA last week revealed that more than 2.4 trillion kip was found to have been lost due to tax exemptions, tax discounts, and exemptions and discounts on special levies on the import and export of fuel, vehicles and timber. Other violations included billions of kip in revenue that had been collected but not handed over to the Ministry of Finance in the form of state revenue, as well as the implementation of unapproved projects. The discrepancies were revealed after the SAO audited the records of 12 ministries and government agencies, 12 departments, 16 provinces and Vientiane, and three units under the National Treasury for the fiscal year 2014-15. Violation of planning and financial regulations is a hot issue. It can’t be tolerated without a solution, Prime Minister Thongloun told Assembly members this week.
