Move to rein in spending spree in BD missions

The government has introduced an online accounting system for Bangladesh missions abroad, a move that may help contain the higher spending on health and education grounds.

Apart from this, the system will ensure real time reporting on the money sent home by the missions vis-à-vis the amount earned as visa, passport, consular and other fees. Some 77 missions earn approximately Tk 40 billion a year.

It is believed that such online accounting system will ensure transparency in monetary transactions. This is aligned with iBAS++, a financial management information system in Bangladesh that depicts a complete picture of the government's assets and liabilities at a given point of time.

It also gives a real picture of missions' earnings.

"The online accounting system will help ensure transparency in missions' spending as many misuse taxpayers' money on health and education grounds," a finance division official familiar with the issue told the FE on Thursday.

He said Delhi is one of the biggest missions where almost all employees show medical bills at the end of every month.

"Almost all the employees cannot fall ill at a time and any person who is ill cannot move from one place to another. But surprisingly, most of the employees at Delhi mission submit medical bills every month," he added.

The government allocates a handsome amount for meeting expenses on health and education for the employees and their dependents at the missions.

Several hundred employees working at the missions get salaries and other fringe benefits as per the government pay structure. They are also entitled to an additional allowance to adjust their cost of living there.

The official said four missions have already been brought under the online system. These are located in New Delhi, Abu Dhabi, Dubai and Singapore.

The rest of the missions will be brought under the system by December next.

A senior consultant working on the matter said: "This was not an easy task as the move needed to take care of at least three currencies -- local currency BDT, international currency like the US dollar and the currency of the country concerned.

"We usually keep the rate of BDT fixed for a month, but other currencies fluctuate heavily in the international market. So, adjustment to the exchange rate is the hardest job for us," said a consultant working with the project titled strengthening public expenditure management.

Bangladesh missions abroad are to maintain political relationship with foreign countries. Most importantly, they have to explore, facilitate and expand markets for Bangladesh-made goods and services.

People who work on transparency and governance told the FE that the government move for digitalisation of transaction is a good one as it will help ensure transparency.

Dr Iftekharuzzaman, executive director at Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB), told the FE: "If it is done effectively, I think it will help ensure transparency and accountability at the missions abroad."

Many audit reports earlier showed misuse of huge public fund at the missions. "The government special audit reports conducted by the comptroller and auditor general also unearthed corruption at the missions," he said.

The government, however, allocated a budget for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs amounting to Tk 16.2 billion for the current fiscal year, up by Tk 3.70 billion from that of the original budget placed for FY 2018-19.

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