Kathmandu, Feb. 11:The House of Representative Public Accounts Committee (PAC) has directed the government to implement the planned Integrated Accounting System only after necessary amendment in Financial Procedure Act 2055 B.S.

The PAC meeting today confirmed that the move of the government was in contravention with the Act and demanded that concerned laws need to be changed before taking such a decision.

The government decided to implement the new accounting system in five districts within this fiscal year on experimental basis. The new system is expected to remove delays accounting, control expenditure, stop payment in absence of related documents, discourage financial irregularities and integrated record keeping.

The PAC members and the Auditor General complained that the cabinet decision to go ahead with the new system prior to required legislative steps means that proper procedure has not been followed. This may invite procedural contradiction and complicatedness.

The approval of the Parliament was needed to give the move a legislative validity, said PAC president Subash Nemwang.

Comptroller General Mukunda Acharya said the Financial Procedure Act is going to be amended at the winter session of the Parliament. The new system is being executed without delay by delegating authority to the Finance Secretary.

PAC members Hridayesh Tripathy and Lilamani Pokhrel said the government’s move overlooked the rights of the legislators.

The PAC meeting also directed the government to use the money in the Bonded Labour Debt Relief Fund to provide employment, skill development and rehabilitation of the labourers. “If the debt is paid to the landlords, this will be the move against the spirit of the Constitution,” it said.

The meet asked the government to pass legislation in the winter session of the Parliament to treat the practice of bonded labourer as punishable crime. PAC discussed bonded labour issue on its Wednesday meeting.