Improving public auditing in Kiribati, Nauru and Tuvalu
PRESS STATEMENT 10/09
Thursday, 26 March 2009
IMPROVING PUBLIC AUDITING IN KIRIBATI, NAURU, AND TUVALU
In a new initiative by the Pacific Association of Supreme Audit Institutions (PASAI), Auditors General from Kiribati, Nauru and Tuvalu have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to commence the Subregional Audit Support (SAS) Programme under the overall framework of the Pacific Regional Audit Initiative (PRAI).
SAS Programme Committee Chairperson and Auditor General of Tuvalu, Mr Isaako Kine, said the programme’s objective is to enable the public accounts of Kiribati, Nauru and Tuvalu to be audited to uniformly high standards in a timely manner.
“The SAS programme in turn will contribute to good governance through improved accountability and efficiency in providing audit scrutiny and oversight over the use of public resources in Kiribati, Nauru and Tuvalu.”
Mr Kine added: “The SAS Programme will also strengthen in-country financial management capacity and enhance accountability mechanisms. At a later point, the programme will be expanded to undertake performance audits.”
Mr Barry Reid, the Asian Development Bank's Senior Financial Management Specialist, remarked that the Programme has the unanimous support of PASAI members, the Forum Leaders and the Forum Economic Ministers, and will establish an SAS team which will work with the three participating countries to conduct financial audits, and at a later point performance audits.
"SAS team members will be seconded from the Kiribati National Audit Office, the Nauru Audit Department and the Office of the Auditor General of Tuvalu and will be led by external audit staff with practical auditing and training experience," explained Mr Reid. "The initial programme period will be 2008-2012, at which point the programme will be evaluated.”
Mr Kine noted that the programme will be managed by the strengthened PASAI Secretariat, once established, under the oversight of a SAS Programme Committee.
"In the interim, the programme will be established and managed by the SAS Programme Coordinator under the SAS Programme Committee’s oversight. An SAS Programme Coordinator has been appointed and other SAS Programme secondees and technical staff will be in place in the coming months.”
Secretary General of the Forum Secretariat, Tuiloma Neroni Slade, said Pacific Islands Forum Leaders and Forum Economic Ministers have identified the audit initiative as an important regional undertaking, as recognised in the Pacific Plan.
"PRAI progress is an excellent demonstration of regional cooperation, with a significant dimension of pooling scarce resources to support improved transparency and accountability in the management and use of our public resources," said Mr Slade.
"While there is still some more work to get through, the good progress that has been achieved so far is underscored by the commitment of all relevant stakeholders – firstly, the national SAIs for supporting the initiative, secondly, to PASAI for its leadership and guidance, and finally, of ADB, AusAID and IDI for the financial and technical support which they have provided to the initiative.”
The SAS Programme Committee, which was established to implement the SAS Programme, met in Wellington, New Zealand, from 19-20 March to progress transition arrangements to mobilise staff resources to undertake cooperative audits in the three participating jurisdictions commencing from third quarter 2009.
The working group comprises the Auditors-General from Kiribati, Nauru, and Tuvalu. Representatives from the Asian Development Bank, Australian Agency for International Development, the International Organization of Supreme Audit Institutions Development Initiative and the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat attended the meeting.
PASAI is a regional organisation representing 25 audit institutions in the Pacific and is one of seven regional working groups of the International Organisation of Supreme Audit Institutions.
The Pacific Regional Audit Initiative was developed through an extensive 18-month consultative process under the guidance of PASAI, with support from ADB and AusAID, under the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat’s co-ordination, given the interest of Forum Leaders on good governance, as articulated in the Pacific Plan.
(Ends)
For more information please contact the Forum Secretariat's Economic Adviser, Sanjesh Naidu: sanjesn@forumsec.org.fj
Thursday, 26 March 2009
IMPROVING PUBLIC AUDITING IN KIRIBATI, NAURU, AND TUVALU
In a new initiative by the Pacific Association of Supreme Audit Institutions (PASAI), Auditors General from Kiribati, Nauru and Tuvalu have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to commence the Subregional Audit Support (SAS) Programme under the overall framework of the Pacific Regional Audit Initiative (PRAI).
SAS Programme Committee Chairperson and Auditor General of Tuvalu, Mr Isaako Kine, said the programme’s objective is to enable the public accounts of Kiribati, Nauru and Tuvalu to be audited to uniformly high standards in a timely manner.
“The SAS programme in turn will contribute to good governance through improved accountability and efficiency in providing audit scrutiny and oversight over the use of public resources in Kiribati, Nauru and Tuvalu.”
Mr Kine added: “The SAS Programme will also strengthen in-country financial management capacity and enhance accountability mechanisms. At a later point, the programme will be expanded to undertake performance audits.”
Mr Barry Reid, the Asian Development Bank's Senior Financial Management Specialist, remarked that the Programme has the unanimous support of PASAI members, the Forum Leaders and the Forum Economic Ministers, and will establish an SAS team which will work with the three participating countries to conduct financial audits, and at a later point performance audits.
"SAS team members will be seconded from the Kiribati National Audit Office, the Nauru Audit Department and the Office of the Auditor General of Tuvalu and will be led by external audit staff with practical auditing and training experience," explained Mr Reid. "The initial programme period will be 2008-2012, at which point the programme will be evaluated.”
Mr Kine noted that the programme will be managed by the strengthened PASAI Secretariat, once established, under the oversight of a SAS Programme Committee.
"In the interim, the programme will be established and managed by the SAS Programme Coordinator under the SAS Programme Committee’s oversight. An SAS Programme Coordinator has been appointed and other SAS Programme secondees and technical staff will be in place in the coming months.”
Secretary General of the Forum Secretariat, Tuiloma Neroni Slade, said Pacific Islands Forum Leaders and Forum Economic Ministers have identified the audit initiative as an important regional undertaking, as recognised in the Pacific Plan.
"PRAI progress is an excellent demonstration of regional cooperation, with a significant dimension of pooling scarce resources to support improved transparency and accountability in the management and use of our public resources," said Mr Slade.
"While there is still some more work to get through, the good progress that has been achieved so far is underscored by the commitment of all relevant stakeholders – firstly, the national SAIs for supporting the initiative, secondly, to PASAI for its leadership and guidance, and finally, of ADB, AusAID and IDI for the financial and technical support which they have provided to the initiative.”
The SAS Programme Committee, which was established to implement the SAS Programme, met in Wellington, New Zealand, from 19-20 March to progress transition arrangements to mobilise staff resources to undertake cooperative audits in the three participating jurisdictions commencing from third quarter 2009.
The working group comprises the Auditors-General from Kiribati, Nauru, and Tuvalu. Representatives from the Asian Development Bank, Australian Agency for International Development, the International Organization of Supreme Audit Institutions Development Initiative and the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat attended the meeting.
PASAI is a regional organisation representing 25 audit institutions in the Pacific and is one of seven regional working groups of the International Organisation of Supreme Audit Institutions.
The Pacific Regional Audit Initiative was developed through an extensive 18-month consultative process under the guidance of PASAI, with support from ADB and AusAID, under the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat’s co-ordination, given the interest of Forum Leaders on good governance, as articulated in the Pacific Plan.
(Ends)
For more information please contact the Forum Secretariat's Economic Adviser, Sanjesh Naidu: sanjesn@forumsec.org.fj
