Sudan’s auditor-general reports ‘corrupt figures’

The Sudanese auditor-general has reported “corrupt figures” in the accounts of the Ministry of Guidance and Endowment, diplomatic missions abroad, the country’s states, and the oil sector. In his report to the national parliament on Monday, Auditor-General El Taher Abdelgayoum revealed that financial abuses were detected at the Ministry of Guidance and Endowment, diplomatic missions abroad, and the states. During the period between September 2013 and September 2014, an amount of SDG337 million ($58.403 mn) was excluded from the Ministry’s budget. About SDG22 million ($3.812 mn) spent by diplomatic missions abroad was not accounted for.In many of the Sudanese states, the post “social support” made up 50 percent of the total expenses. Red Sea state, for instance, spent SDG1.4 million ($242,624) on bonuses for state officials during the latest audit cycle. Oil sector The auditor stated that 61 percent of the 196 oil companies operating in Sudan evade tax. He also accused the Ministry of Finance, and the Sudanese Oil Foundation of spending raw oil revenues to repay a Chinese loan for the Khartoum refinery without keeping accounts. Furthermore, he revealed a mismatch in the oil accounts in the period 1996-2012, pointing to an amount of $628 billion that was classified as “operating expenses”. On 14 December, Radio Dabanga quoted economist Prof Hamid Eltigani Ali, who stated that the revenues of about 249 oil wells are not deposited in the public treasury.“In reality, the total of oil revenues amount to $250 million, rather than the $70 million that appears in the financial reports. There must be about $180 million circulating outside the public treasury,” Prof Ali said. File photo Related: ‘Sudan’s economy collapsed, 2015 budget fake’: economist (14 December 2014)