Audit

Audit Department

Overview

PEF Audit Department was established in year 2010. Prime focus of Audit Department is to provide transparent, efficient and effective utilization of public money while abiding by all applicable Laws, Rules & Regulations governing the Foundation. These goals are achieved through four different types of Audits carried out in PEF:

  • Financial/ External Audit by Chartered Accountant Firm under requirements of PEF Act 2004
  • Regularity/ Compliance Audit by Auditor General of Pakistan (Director General Commercial Audit & Evaluation)
  • Internal Audit
    • Pre Audit
    • Post Audit (outsourced to Chartered Accountant Firm as per approval of PEF Board of Directors)
  • Any other audits including Donor Reviews/ Special Audits/TPVs

Audit and Risk Management Committee

An Audit and Risk Management Committee has been established as subcommittee of the PEF Board of Directors which is responsible for the Foundation’s audit related matters along with associated risk management, ensuring appropriateness of Internal Control structures and safeguarding of assets of the Foundation. The Audit and Risk Management Committee reviews in depth the annual financial statements of the Foundation, monitor the integrity of the Operations, financial reporting system and internal controls, review the statutory accounts and consider accounting issues arising in respect of the Foundation’s affairs and recommend them to the Board for approval.

Pre Audit

An in-house pre audit activity is carried out by PEF audit department for 100% payments made by the Foundation. The basic aim of pre audit is to ensure applicability of relevant taxation and procurement laws along with approval from Competent Authority as per financial matrix, adherence to prescribed process, attachment of necessary documents and occurrence of expenditures under budgetary limits.

Financial/ External Audit

Clause 10(3) of PEF Act 2004 stipulates as “The accounts of the Foundation shall be maintained in such form and manner as may be prescribed and shall be audited by an auditor, to be appointed by the Government, being a person who is a Chartered Accountant within the meaning of the Chartered Accountants Ordinance, 1961 (X of 1961)”

At the close of each financial year, Financial Audit is carried out by a renowned Chartered Accountant Firm having satisfactory Quality Control Review (QCR) rating issued by the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Pakistan (ICAP) and placed in Category “A” of the State Bank of Pakistan’s approved panel of Auditors. Annual financial statements of the Foundation along with Independent Auditor’s Report are placed before the PEF Board of Directors through Audit & Risk Management Committee.

Financial Auditors are responsible to express an opinion on the financial statements of the Foundation. They conduct audit in accordance with International Standards on Auditing as applicable in Pakistan. These standards require that auditors comply with ethical requirements and plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance whether the financial statements are free from material misstatement.

Regularity/ Compliance Audit by Auditor General of Pakistan (AGP)

Annual Regularity/ Compliance Audit of PEF is conducted by the Office of Director General Commercial Audit & Evaluation which is an independent Department of Auditor General of Pakistan to examine operational and financial activities performed in a financial year.

Commercial Audit issues Audit Inspection Report having observations for management response after which Draft Audit Paras are prepared for discussion/ decision of Special Departmental Accounts Committee (SDAC) chaired by Secretary/ Special Secretary/ Additional Secretary, School Education Department. Draft Audit Paras which remain unsettled/ pending in SDAC are printed in Audit Report on Public Sector Enterprises for discussion/ decision of Public Accounts Committee.

Internal Audit

Internal Audit provides an independent, objective assurance and consulting activity designed to add value and improve operations which helps to accomplish objectives by bringing a systematic, disciplined approach to evaluate and improve the effectiveness of risk management, control, and governance processes.

Internal Audit activity of the Foundation is outsourced with the approval of PEF Board of Directors to a renowned Chartered Accountant Firm having satisfactory Quality Control Review (QCR) rating issued by the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Pakistan (ICAP) and placed in Category “A” of the State Bank of Pakistan’s approved panel of Auditors.

Special Audit/ Donor’s review/ TPVs

Any other audit including Donor Reviews/ Special Audit/ TPVs of the Foundation is conducted as and when required by the Government/ Donors/ BOD/ Executive Management. World Bank and Department for International Development (DFID) continuously deploy renowned Chartered Accountant Firms to monitor the performance of Foundation.

Status update of routine Audit activities in PEF:

Status update of Audit activities in PEF:

Type of Audit Conducting Party Last Audit Conducted
Annual Regularity/ Compliance Audit by Auditor General of Pakistan (AGP) Director General Commercial Audit & Evaluation FY 2019-20 & 2020-21
Financial/ External Audit M/s Muniff Ziauddin & Co. Chartered Accountants FY 2017-18 & 2018-19 Financial Audit for FY 2019-20 is in process
Internal Audit M/s Naveed Zafar Ashfaq Jaffery & Co. Chartered FY 2018-19 & 2019-20 Internal Audit for FY 2020-21 is in process
Accountants

Auditor's Report to BODs