The FY 2024/25 (2017 EFY) audit report recently presented by the Office of the Federal Auditor General to the House of Peoples' Representatives has unveiled a deeply shocking and disheartening reality for every patriotic citizen.
Investigations confirmed that during the 2023/24 (2016 EFY) fiscal year and prior, various government institutions made "illegal" payments totaling 21.5 billion Birr and over $23,000, which they were subsequently ordered to return to the state treasury.
To date, however, a mere 31 percent, or 6.6 billion Birr, has been recovered. Nearly 15 billion Birr of public funds remains wrongfully held by the offending entities.
This astronomical loss is not a minor bookkeeping error that can be overlooked. At a time when the nation is navigating aggressive economic reforms, and when foreign currency shortages and a soaring cost of living are weighing heavily on the shoulders of the public, leaving a debt of 15 billion Birr and thousands of dollars hanging in limbo is unacceptable.
It serves as a glaring indictment of how lax, weak, and vulnerable to waste the government's financial oversight systems have become.
According to the report, the fact that the majority of these illegal disbursements occurred within customs branches, revenue offices, and public universities makes the matter even more alarming.
These institutions are supposed to be the pillars of national development, collecting state revenue and shaping the next generation, not centers of waste bleeding public resources.
While branches like the Qality and Kombolcha Customs, alongside Arba Minch University, have made some efforts to return portions of the billions owed, the overall sluggishness proves that the institutional system of checks and balances has rusted out.
Keyir Times takes a fierce, uncompromising stance on this issue. Allowing government offices to retain billions in public property without facing immediate coercive action suggests that "being audited" has devolved into a toothless annual ritual.
Every year, the Auditor General exposes the waste, parliament debates it, and yet the perpetrators walk away without facing legal consequences. This culture of complacency and systemic disarray must stop immediately.
The fact that $23,200 in foreign currency remains entirely unrecovered highlights a profound decay of ethical standards and a blatant disregard for government directives within these institutions.
Agencies and public officials who violated the law, squandered money, and still refuse to refund public funds must no longer be handled with mere "reminders."
This soft approach only emboldens corruption and fiscal irresponsibility. The government must deploy decisive, punitive measures to restore the rule of law.
The Auditor General's findings leave parliament with a massive responsibility. The House of Peoples' Representatives must move past performative outrage.
It must compel the executive branch and the Ministry of Justice to aggressively pursue these institutions, recover every single cent of the public’s money, and bring the culprits to justice.
National wealth must never be treated as expendable. For a developing nation, 15 billion Birr is an immense sum capable of building numerous hospitals, schools, and critical infrastructure.
Therefore, to restore public trust and sanitize the financial system, Keyir Times urgently demands that the government take swift, unwavering legal action before it is too late.
