By: Hafsatu Z Bangura
The Audit Service Sierra Leone in an Annual stakeholders engagement with CSO’s on Friday 20th January 2023 at the Audit Service headquarters on the 12th Floor, FCC Building gave update to CSO’ and Journalists about the 2021 Auditor-General’s Report and the road map of the 2022 audits that have commenced this year.
The Acting Auditor General Mr Abdul Aziz welcomed stakeholders as he reiterated that stakeholder engagement is important, he said this allows stakeholders to be informed of a detailed understanding of the report and to disseminate correct information about the Auditor General’s Report to the public.
Over the years he said when the Auditor General’s report is out; with the advent of social media, citizens give their own opinion or comments on issues in the Auditor General’s Report.
He stressed that it’s good that journalists and CSO`s work together with the Authors of the report seeking clarification on the Audit report for them to be of detailed knowledge and understanding of the report.
Speaking at the event, Assistant Auditor General Morie Lansana explained issues in the Auditor’s report that was submitted to parliament, and the process and procedures of the Audit report.
Mr Morie Lansana said that auditing is conducted based on the government’s priority areas or flagship programs, adding that MDAs that are considered high-risk areas were the first to be targeted.
“We call them fundamental entities because of the threshold we looked at whilst others are being audited in 3 or five years,” Mr. Lansana said.
He noted that on the 8th of December, the report was issued to parliament last year for debate.
He added that auditing is done with international standards, noting that their job in line with the constitution is to audit institutions created by parliament.
Mr. Lansana states that they have completed the 2021 account and that the 2022 account is their next focus, and that the 2022 account is been done in 2023 as prescribed in the public financial management activities.
Mr. Lansana disclosed that the 2021 layout of the report is very clear and have a thematic area that ranges from a public account to operations of ministries and departments among others, adding that this year’s report was a clean audit opinion as opposed to 2020.
“In the previous reports our concern with entities was compliance with the laws with regards to compliance rules and regulations”, he said.
According to Mr. Lansana issues that were identified have meaning and are related to their impact on people’s lives.
