Education:
Rana Assad Amin
Former Auditor-General of Pakistan
08-06-2015 to 08-04-2017
Education:
Mr. Rana Assad Amin’s educational journey reflects a rich and diverse academic background. He holds a Master’s degree in Project Management from Malardalens University, Sweden, an MBA from Bradford University, UK, along with degrees in LLB (Law) and M.A. in Political Science from the University of the Punjab, Lahore.
Professional Experience and Achievements:
After passing the competitive examination, Mr. Rana Assad Amin was selected as a probationary officer in the Civil Services Academy in 1977, marking the start of his illustrious career in the civil service. In his career of more than thirty-five years, he served in many key government positions. He worked as Deputy Accountant General, Punjab, and Deputy Director at the Water and Power Development Authority. His expertise as an auditor was further refined while he was Director of Pakistan's High Commission in London, where he oversaw all embassy accounting and internal audit functions for both the civil and military branches.
In 1991, he served as Accountant General, Punjab, managing the province’s revenues and expenditures, before moving on to international assignments, including a stint for environmental auditing with the Court of Audit in the Netherlands. In the late 1990’s and early 2000’s, Mr. Assad Amin served as Director of Accounts at Pakistan Post Office and Director Finance at different large public sector hospitals in Lahore. From 2001 to 2004, he served as Director General of Defence Audit, responsible for auditing the accounts of Pakistan’s defence services. He also played key roles in the Ministry of Finance, where he served as Joint Secretary, Additional Secretary, Special Secretary, and finally as Advisor to Finance Division, managing key financial projects and international collaborations. During his stay there, he also gained insight on issues such as corporate governance, anti-money laundering & counter-terrorism financing, among other things.
He was appointed as Pakistan’s 19th Auditor-General on 8 June 2015, where he applied his vision and expertise to spearhead the country’s Supreme Audit Institution. Shortly after taking the oath of office, he launched a series of transformative reforms, driven by the DAGP’s first ever Strategic Plan of 2015-19, an insightful roadmap based on the wise counsel of the Audit Reforms Committee. This plan sought to revitalize the DAGP with its core pillars rooted in operational efficiency, human resource development, financial autonomy, and a desire to enhance the infrastructure and service delivery of the Department.
One of the tangible fruits of his reforms was a remarkable increase in recoveries made on pointation by audit. In 2015-16, the recoveries rose to Rs. 81 billion, as compared to Rs. 40 billion during 2014-15. This significant improvement was more than just a number; it represented the Department's ability to protect public resources, and it was the result of hard work that paid off with a benefit-cost ratio of 28:1, well above the target of 12:1. This meant that for every rupee spent on audit, Rs. 28 were recovered from Ministries and Divisions or their subordinate organisations on account of irregular expenditure.
His reform initiatives also had intellectual dimensions. The constitution of the Policy Board, which included representatives from ICAP, ICMAP, PIPFA, and SECP, enhanced the department’s outreach and ensured its growing independence. His pursuit for DAGP’s independence reached its climax when he framed a new Auditor General of Pakistan Act, which aimed to replace the Auditor General’s Ordinance of 2001, a bold move that aligned with the Supreme Court ruling affirming the Auditor General’s mandate. The Federal Cabinet gave approval to the proposed bill, which was tabled before Parliament for enactment. Unfortunately, the Parliament’s tenure ended, and the bill lapsed.
Mr. Assad Amin’s meticulous revisions to the Performance Audit Manual embodied his quest for excellence, ensuring this to be a beacon of international standards and a testament to best practices. Under his leadership, adoption of standards became a new creed. A standardized template for Audit Reports was introduced to the Field Audit Offices. This move towards consistency not only improved the quality of Reports but also ensured that the governance issues were highlighted in a uniform fashion across the government’s landscape.
Mr. Assad Amin had the foresight to prepare the Department for the future’s complex challenges. The creation of a new wing along with a new Grade 21 position, tasked with administering Special Audit Activities, was not a mere structural adjustment; it was a clarion call to modernize by introducing new and emerging fields like forensic, IT, and environmental audits. The officers were trained rigorously, and their minds sharpened to meet the expanding scope of these audits.
With his reformist zeal, Mr. Assad Amin also brought the DAGP into the digital era. The overhaul of the Department’s website was just the beginning. His ambition was to convert it into a dynamic web portal, a living and breathing hub of interaction that would connect the various wings of the DAGP in real time. The establishment of an Information Technology Unit further cemented the DAGP’s march towards digital sophistication, laying the groundwork for a new era of audit automation. The foundation for the selection and implementation of DAGP's Audit Management Information System was also laid during his tenure.
Mr. Assad Amin recognized the power of connectivity and operational efficiency gains ensuing from it. The installation of a videoconferencing system was more than just an upgrade in communications; it was a vital tool that linked offices based in other cities with the DAGP headquarters in Islamabad. This simple yet profound change brought significant savings in time, resources, and effort. This, along with the recommendations about the uploading of Audit Reports on DAGP’s website and identification of social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn for information dissemination, showed his commitment to transparency and audit outreach. For him, transparency was not just an aspiration but a necessity, enshrined in a whistleblowing policy and a dedicated complaint registration system. His introduction of a reward and punishment system, combined with a staunch zero-tolerance policy for corruption, reflected a moral compass that never wavered.
DAGP published a quarterly newsletter called "Vouch Public Money" to serve as a symbol of connection, communication, and collaboration. It also served as the department's voice, serving as an internal bridge and delivering a message of progress, reform, and new initiatives.
Perhaps one of his most innovative steps was his partnership with academia and professional bodies. The signing of a MOU with the ICAP for trainee attachments, and with Virtual University for online courseware, opened new doors for learning and professional development. He also aimed to set up a cutting-edge faculty of Forensic Audit through collaboration between DAGP and ICAP. Both the organisations agreed to cooperate and develop a training module for the new faculty of PA&AS officers to aid in the parliamentary oversight. These partnerships gave rise to a mutually beneficial relationship with the goal of creating a cadre of officers who are knowledgeable and well-trained to handle the demands of an evolving audit landscape.
In the realm of public service, few issues ranked higher than the proper handling of the pension system. Mr. Assad Amin streamlined the pension process by reducing from 6 to 2 pages the paperwork required for the mandatory Direct Credit System (DCS) and ensuring the nomination of welfare officers in each Ministry and Division to guide pensioners through the process. His reforms also eradicated the scourge of ghost pensioners and restored dignity to those who had dedicated their lives to public service.
Mr. Assad Amin’s reforms were holistic in nature, inviting civil society into the conversation as the Audit Plan for 2015-16 was being crafted. Perceiving health and education as the cornerstones of national development, he urged the Field Audit Offices to concentrate their efforts on Performance Audits and Special Studies of these vital sectors. His collaboration with investigative agencies such as NAB demonstrated his dedication to uproot corruption, sparing no effort to unearth and address irregularities.
Reaching out internationally, Mr. Assad Amin pushed for alliances through regional organizations and associations while forming partnerships with audit institutions in Iran, Turkey, and China. As the Chairman of ASOSAI, Secretary General of ECOSAI, and a luminary in countless International Committees, his influence extended far beyond Pakistan’s borders. Also, he served on the Working Group on Anti-Corruption and Money Laundering, the Working Group on Value and Benefits of SAIs, and the INTOSAI subcommittee on Capacity Building. His intellectual contributions to INTOSAI Committees on IT audit, Environmental audit, Disaster accountability, and key national indicators, as well as other global platforms, earned him a place as a leading authority in public sector auditing.
During his tenure, the Department not only flourished but also regained its dignity and esteem. The reforms were lauded by the World Bank and praised by the country’s Finance Minister and Public Accounts Committee. With his wife and two children beside him, Mr. Assad Amin’s legacy stays not just one of numbers, but of profound, systemic change.