Board Of Audit: Over 10 Bil. Yen Improperly Paid For Covid - Related Measures
Japan's audit watchdog says more than 10 billion yen, or some 68 million dollars, was improperly paid by coronavirus-related government programs in the fiscal year through March.
The head of the Board of Audit, Morita Yuji, submitted the report on its audit of the fiscal 2021 state budget to Prime Minister Kishida Fumio on Monday.
The year's audit focused on coronavirus-related programs worth about 345 billion dollars. The board says the actual spending totaled about 230 billion dollars.
Of the total, the board found excess payments of about 37 million dollars in subsidies for medical institutions that secured beds for COVID-19 patients.
The report says a hospital in Kanagawa Prefecture, south of Tokyo, received an excess of some 15 million dollars due to calculation errors.
The hospital has reportedly promised to pay back the money.
Other improper payments include those related to compensation for travel agencies and hotels over tour cancellations after the government's "Go To Travel" domestic tourism campaign was suspended.
The board also found improper payments in the subsidies provided to construction firms to promote the use of timber as demand flagged during the pandemic.
In total, the audit found 10.2 billion yen, or some 69.5 million dollars, was inappropriately spent for coronavirus-related programs during the year.
The report says the audit of the government's entire budget found a total of 310 cases of improper spending worth about 310 million dollars.
The board is calling for the improperly paid funds to be returned to the state coffers.
It is also asking the government to carry out thorough examinations of coronavirus-related spending as large amounts of state funds were used in a short time.