A:

If the audit is “voluntary”, i.e. not required by the contract (because clause 39 is included or for any other reason), the cost of the audit does not seem to us to be “necessary” for the project (at least at that time). Therefore it should not be allowed in the financial statements, until and unless, it can be demonstrated (in subsequent audits) that the audit costs of this voluntary audit reduced the fees for future reports (remember that everyone has to have a financial audit report at the end for the full period of the project).