The Transparency International Bangladesh on Thursday urged the interim government to amend immediately the Public Accounts Audit Ordinance, 2025, saying that the ordinance has curtained the constitutional authority of the Comptroller and Auditor General and would pave the way for corruption and tax evasion.
The anti-graft watchdog came up with the observations in a press statement and labelled the ordinance as unconstitutional and corruption-friendly one.
The government issued the ordinance on May 4 after the advisory council approved the draft of the ordinance on April 17.
The TIB warned that instead of preventing tax fraud and irregularities in revenue collection, the ordinance would provide protection for such misconduct.
Several provisions in the ordinance create obstacles to the CAG functioning independently and free from government influence, which contradicts with the essence of Article 128(4) of the Constitution, said Iftekharuzzaman, executive director of the TIB.
The TIB mentioned that the ordinance granted the executive branch鈥檚 control over critical aspects of the CAG鈥檚 office, including rule-making authority, organisational structure, staffing and departmental reorganisation and this could turn the constitutionally independent audit body into a subordinate government entity.
The anti-graft watchdog said that this move could remove critical aspects of public finance from accountability mechanisms, especially in a context where tax fraud and collusion between corrupt officials and dishonest taxpayers were rampant.
鈥楾his ordinance is not only disappointing, it also reflects a deliberate disregard for recommendations submitted by stakeholders, including the TIB, to ensure the independence and effectiveness of the CAG,鈥� said Iftekharuzzaman.
The TIB stated that its proposals that included granting the CAG full authority to audit revenue, holding officials accountable, recruiting independently and exercising rule-making power were ignored.
The clause that proposed bringing revenue assessment under audit was reportedly removed by the Finance Division, it said.
The TIB urged the interim government to revise the ordinance urgently to restore the CAG鈥檚 autonomy and ensure transparency and accountability in the public financial management.
