Veracruz, Chiapas, and Hidalgo are the three states with the most findings from the Federal Auditor’s Office (ASF) regarding irregularities in the management of federal funds, according to the results of the second installment of the 2024 Public Accounts audit.
The amounts requiring clarification total 1,115.3 million pesos for Veracruz, 678.5 million for Chiapas, and 603.8 million for Hidalgo. Together, these three states account for 52% of the 4,607.6 million pesos that must be accounted for by all states.
The ASF conducted 369 audits of federal funds in this installment. The most frequent irregularities found were a lack of supporting documentation for expenditures, improper or unjustified payments to personnel, and expenditures not authorized by regulatory agencies.
During the past year, federalized spending totaled 2.55 trillion pesos, equivalent to 27.7% of the Federation’s total net spending; 97% of these resources were classified as social spending, representing 22.5% of all federal government social spending.
Furthermore, the ASF (Superior Audit Office of the Federation) covered 94.4% of the total amount of audited funds and programs, out of a total of 1,848 audits scheduled for the year in question; 81.6% were specifically allocated to federalized spending, given the importance of these resources, which represent 72% of state revenues on average.
The findings, totaling 4,607.6 million pesos, are concentrated in: comprehensive audits in the health sector, representing 34.5% of the amount requiring clarification; the Fund for Contributions to Strengthen Federal Entities, representing 30.2%; and resources transferred to upper secondary education institutions, representing 17.9%. and the Social Infrastructure Fund for the States, with 10.5%; together, they accounted for 93.1% of the amount requiring clarification.
The ASF issued 585 corrective actions, including 236 findings, 213 referrals for administrative sanctions, and 79 recommendations. For the first time, 100% audit coverage was achieved in 19 states, and over 40% in municipalities and boroughs.
For the first time, the ASF analyzed health sector resources in all 32 states, identifying 1,591.2 million pesos in discrepancies that must be justified by the state governments.
The audits covered three key programs: the Health Services Contribution Fund, the Healthcare and Free Medication Program for the Population without Social Security, and the Healthcare Program for People without Social Security, totaling 153,609.4 million pesos.
The most serious irregularity was the lack of supporting documentation for expenditures, amounting to 1,030.1 million pesos in Coahuila, Hidalgo, Oaxaca, and Veracruz (64.7% of the total).
In contrast, Mexico City, Querétaro, Quintana Roo, Sinaloa, and Zacatecas had no findings.
The entities identified have the opportunity to clarify and justify the management of these resources before the Superior Audit Office of the Federation (ASF) within the timeframes established by the Federal Law on Auditing and Accountability.
Source: eleconomista
