PRESS STATEMENT
1st May 2007

Pacific Auditors-General consider regional approaches


Auditors-General from the region convene this week for a three-day meeting on the Pacific Regional Audit Initiative (PRAI).

Opening the Regional Institutional Strengthening Committee (RISC) meeting on PRAI yesterday at the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat in Suva, Fiji, Forum Secretary General, Greg Urwin, stressed the importance of strong public audit mechanisms in order to foster and maintain good governance.

"Strengthened regional approaches certainly have a role to play in this to add value at the country level," said Mr Urwin. "Audits of public expenditure, revenue, financial assets and liabilities achieve valuable public benefits."

Mr Urwin remarked that many member countries find it very difficult to attract and retain staff with the necessary skills and experience to carry out the work needed to attain these important benefits.

"In carrying this work forward, Forum island countries must strive to foster an enabling environment for comprehensive, sustainable approaches to developing public auditing," he said.

"These include strengthened information sharing, capacity-building, technical assistance, and if conditions are suitable, establishing a sub-regional approach to public auditing."

Mr Urwin added that public auditors are well versed in regional cooperation, having one of the more long-standing and active regional bodies in the South Pacific Association of Supreme Audit Institutions (SPASAI).

"Much that needs to be done to improve our region's audit services will depend on the commitment and cooperation among our members and development partners, and on sheer staying power."

The RISC meeting Chair, Fiji's Auditor-General, Eroni Vatuloka, echoed the sentiments expressed by Mr Urwin.

"This involvement of practitioners from regional Supreme Audit Institutions to shape the design of the required diagnostic studies can only bode well in terms of desirable outcomes for the Pacific Regional Audit Initiative," said Mr Vatuloka.

"We have made good progress thus far, and with excellent momentum on the ownership front, I am confident we will collectively make further headway this year."

Asian Development Bank (ADB) Financial Management Specialist, Barry Reid, remarked that development partners have worked closely with SPASAI for many years.

"The Pacific Audit Regional Initiative is expected to enhance the effectiveness of development assistance to public auditing," Mr Reid said.

Forum Secretariat Economic Adviser, Sanjesh Naidu, explained that Forum Economic Ministers requested feedback on PRAI in 2006.

"The outcomes of this meeting will provide strategic oversight and technical inputs into a roadmap for strengthening regional approaches to audit services, which will eventually be put forward to the Forum Economic Ministers Meeting," he said.

The Regional Institutional Steering Committee meeting on PRAI is being attended by Auditors-General from Fiji, Papua New Guinea, Vanuatu, New Zealand, Tuvalu and the Cook Islands.

Also in attendance are representatives from the ADB, AusAID, SPASAI and the Forum Secretariat.

Regional consolidation of commitments to key institutions such as audit and ombudsman offices is called for in the Pacific Plan under its priority goal of Good Governance.

The Pacific Plan, with its range of priority initiatives under the four inter-related goals of Economic Growth, Sustainable Development, Good Governance and Security, was endorsed by Forum Leaders at their annual meeting in 2005.


(Ends)

For more information, please contact the Forum Secretariat's Economic Adviser, Sanjesh Naidu, on T: (679) 331 2600 or email