The Administrative Court (TA) has revealed evidence of embezzlement of more than 30 million dollars, equivalent to 2.1 billion meticais, from natural gas exploration revenues from the FLNG project in the Rovuma basin in Cabo Delgado..

According to the Report and Opinion on the General State Accounts (CGE) for 2023, quoted by Letter from MozambiqueAs of March 2024, the Transitory Account - a sub-account of the Single Treasury Account for depositing natural gas revenues - had a balance of 60.6 million dollars (3.9 billion meticais), of which 47.6 million dollars (3 billion meticais) were deposited in 2023 and 13 million dollars (832 million meticais) in the first three months of 2024.

However, the Administrative Court found a difference of 33.7 million dollars (2.1 billion meticais) between the amount actually deposited and the amount declared by the government in the Report on the Implementation of the Economic and Social Plan and State Budget (PESOE).

The official figures also state that between 2022 and March 2024, "the state collected 94.2 million dollars (6 billion meticais), figures which, however, do not correspond to the amounts actually deposited".

The audit also reveals that, in 2022, the 800,000 dollars (51 million meticais) collected were not deposited in the Transitional Account. In 2023, of the 73.4 million dollars (4.7 billion meticais) declared, only 47.6 million dollars were actually transferred, resulting in a difference of 25.8 million dollars (1.6 billion meticais).

In the first quarter of 2024, 20.1 million dollars (1.3 billion meticais) were declared, but only 13 million dollars were deposited, with 7.1 million dollars (453 million meticais) missing.

The TA stresses that the difference found constitutes a violation of article 49 of the SISTAFE Law, which requires clarity and accuracy in the preparation of the General State Account, and constitutes a financial infringement under the terms of Law no. 8/2015, of October 6.

In addition, the audit pointed out flaws in the movement of resources outside the normal budget execution circuit, withholding and improper use of earmarked revenue, discrepancies in the balances of the Treasury Single Account and inadequate recording of revenue in various bank accounts not directly controlled by the Public Treasury.

The Administrative Court recalls that several of these irregularities had already been reported in previous years and that, despite the recommendations issued, they continue to prevail, in violation of the Assembly of the Republic's resolutions.

(Photo DR)