There are shortcomings in the management of funds for highways.
“Elchi” reports that this is stated in the “State Audit” bulletin of the Chamber of Accounts.
According to the document, the audit analyzed the efficiency of funds allocated for highways. The comparison revealed that in 2024 (excluding pedestrian crossings, tunnels, bridges, and overpasses), an average of 17,012 manats was allocated per 1 kilometer of road. This figure has remained almost unchanged compared to the 17,037 manats in 2023.
At the same time, in 2024, the total amount of receipts from sources forming the Fund’s revenues was executed at 506.43 million manats against a forecast of 330 million manats, or 153.5%, which means an excess of 176.4 million manats.
The audit noted that there are shortcomings in the financial activities of the State Agency of Azerbaijan Automobile Roads (AAYDA), particularly in the planning and execution of the cost estimate.
Thus, during the management of financial resources, the requirements of the Tax Code, as well as the accounting rules approved by the relevant decision of the Ministry of Finance, were not fully complied with. The proper grouping of expenses into deductible (operating expenses) and non-deductible (capitalizable expenses) categories was not ensured. This indicates problems in maintaining financial accounting in accordance with international standards.
In addition, the Agency directed 19 million 599.5 thousand manats from the targeted budget fund to bank loan payments, even though this was not provided for in the 2024 cost estimate and relevant regulations. According to the audit, this approach created limitations in covering expenses related to the maintenance and repair of highways and related engineering structures, as well as right-of-way strips, and also caused inconsistencies in the state budget’s reporting on debts.
It was noted that, overall, the failure to fully implement the necessary measures in the planning and execution of funds in this area indicates a need for the improvement of financial management.