Washington: In a bid to closely monitor
and audit the whopping USD 7.5 billion aid to Pakistan, the US
will substantially increase its staff strength at its embassy
at Islamabad and other diplomatic missions in the country.
"Additional US staff has been requested to manage an
expanded programme operating more through Pakistani
institutions and in provincial capitals.
Ambassador Robin Raphel has been appointed as
economic assistance coordinator in Pakistan to closely
supervise all assistance to the country to coordinate the
expanding assistance programmes," the State Department said in
its report on Pakistan to the Congress early this week.
The US administration intends to manage and have a
overview of the massive USD 7.5 billion civilian aid which it
is pumping in Pakistan in next five years.
This team would be lead by Ambassador Robin Raphel,
which was announced by the Secretary of State Hillary Clinton,
at the inaugural benefit gala of the American Pakistani
Foundation in New York on December 11. A copy of the report
has been obtained by the agency.
"Given the paramount role Pakistan’s provincial
governments play in designing, managing and implementing
programmes, US Government staff will be both at Islamabad and
consulates (Peshawar, Karachi and Lahore).
Plans are underway to strengthen US government audit
and investigatory capabilities by establishing field offices
in Pakistan for the inspectors general of the Department of
State and the USAID," the report said.
"As the lead and largest manager of assistance funds
among US Government agencies, USAID in particular will
significantly increase its project management, legal,
financial management, and procurement staffs," the report
said.
The US intends to expand the use of independent
Pakistani public accounting firms to conduct financial audits
of funds provided to Pakistani NGOs.
"The USAID Inspector General (IG) will conduct
performance audits and oversee the conduct of periodic
financial and compliance audits, provide training and
oversight to Pakistani certified public accounting (CPA)
firms,
It will also "oversee and approve all locally
performed audits, and work with the Pakistani Government’s
Supreme Audit Institute to ensure that the audits it conducts
of Pakistani government entities managing US funds fully meet
US Government regulatory and accountability standards," it
said.
PTI
