Q1 2019

As we approach the International Organization of Supreme Audit Institutions (INTOSAI) XXIII Congress (INCOSAI) with quick strides, it gives me great pleasure to seize this opportunity to take stock of the organization’s progress over the last couple of years and look to the road ahead. When I assumed office as INTOSAI’s Secretary General in the summer of 2016…

The United Kingdom (UK) National Audit Office hosted the 14th Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) Supreme Audit Institution (SAI) conference in September 2018, where SAI delegates from each of the nine partner nations involved (Australia, Canada, Italy, The Netherlands, Norway, Turkey, UK and United States) met to exchange insights from audit work and share knowledge of the most expensive weapons procurement program in the world…

Ms. María José de la Fuente y de la Calle was appointed President of the Spanish Court of Audit (SCA) in July by His Majesty King Felipe VI. She will serve a three-year term. As SCA President, she also assumes responsibilities as…

Iran’s Supreme Audit Court (SAC) submitted its 2017 Annual Audit Report to parliament in accordance with the national constitution. Dr. Adel Azar, SAC President, thanked efforts put forth by colleagues as part of his summary report presentation, which…

On January 16, 2019, the National Audit Office of Lithuania (NAOL) celebrated the Centenary of its establishment, an anniversary marking a challenging, yet colorful, history. The NAOL continues to make every effort to be recognized as an independent Supreme Audit Institution (SAI) that is…

On November 9, 2018, Dr. Mari Kobayashi, Acting President of the Board of Audit of Japan (the Board), submitted the Fiscal Year 2017 audit report to Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. The audit report, containing results on audits the Board conducted in 2017-2018, includes…

The State Audit Office (SAO) of Hungary hosted a seminar for the European Organization of Regional External Public Finance Audit Institutions (EURORAI) in Székesfehérvár, Hungary, in October 2018. Nearly 180 experts from 70 regional external public finance audit institutions in 25 countries attended the international seminar that focused on…

A key decision of the 2017 European Organization of Supreme Audit Institutions (EUROSAI) Congress was that one-year project groups could be established by State Audit Institutions (SAIs). The State Audit Office (SAO) of Hungary took this opportunity and created…

The Accountability State Authority of Egypt (ASA) chaired the 12th meeting of the International Organization of Supreme Audit Institutions (INTOSAI) Working Group on the Fight Against Corruption and Money Laundering (WGFACML) hosted by SAI Mexico in October 2018. ASA President and WGFACML Chair, H.E. Hesham Badawy…

“Together we will safeguard Kuwait’s funds.” The State Audit Bureau (SAB) of Kuwait recently published the “2018 Citizens Report”—the first publication that addresses citizens with an aim to raise awareness about the SAB, its role in protecting public funds and citizen involvement in overseeing the community. The publication urges…

The Office of the Comptroller General of the Republic of Peru, Peru’s Supreme Audit Institution (SAI) hosted the 2018 Annual International Integrity Conference (CAII) in Lima in December. The conference…

During a special ceremony held at Peru’s Supreme Audit Institution (SAI) headquarters, Peru’s Comptroller General, Mr. Nelson Shack Yalta, delivered the Institutional Strategic Plan (2018-2023), Multi-Annual Audit Plan and Action Plan to the President of SAI Honduras, Mr. Roy Pineda Castro, as part of a Memorandum of Understanding…

“We have many ideas, proposals and innovations aimed at strengthening the role of the International Organization of Supreme Audit Institutions (INTOSAI). It’s an ambitious goal, but one I believe is attainable in the foreseeable future.” Inspiring words about the audit community’s huge creative potential from Aleksey Kudrin…

Since her appointment as Auditor General of the National Audit Office of China (CNAO), Ms. Hu Zejun has often used the phrase, “Standing higher,” a metaphor that auditors should stand higher to better understand the overall situation and development trends—to get a better grasp of the bigger picture…

Supreme Audit Institutions (SAIs) play a pivotal role in holding governments accountable for the use of public funds. At the forefront of good governance, SAIs can significantly add value and benefits to the lives of citizens. This article explores SAI stakeholder engagement and presents findings from an international survey…

“You must run to keep in place. If you want to get somewhere else, you must run at least twice as fast as that.”—Red Queen theory of evolution. Traditionally, audits, based on accounting standards, have focused on financial statement accuracy and regularity. In the area of public audit, the traditional approach also…

Public audit aims to enhance good governance by promoting transparency and accountability in governmental financial affairs. Throughout the audit process, identifying any weaknesses and gaps is crucial, particularly pertaining to legal compliance; internal control; revenue assessment and collection; budget, public procurement and project management; and…

Auditors love words! Having served as an auditor for more than 10 years, it seems that words tend to be a source of comfort and confidence, and we, as auditors, rely on words when attempting to get our message across to readers. At the same time, we realize those reading our reports are probably suffering from…

Roughly 90 delegates from Supreme Audit Institutions (SAIs)worldwide came together in Moscow, Russia, November 15-16, 2018, for the International Organization of Supreme Audit Institutions (INTOSAI) 71st Governing Board meeting. Numerous decisions and approvals were made under the chairmanship of Dr. Harib Al Amimi, including…

In 2014, the International Organization of Supreme Audit Institutions (INTOSAI) established a temporary Common Forum for professional standards. At the 2016 INTOSAI Congress in Abu Dhabi, the forum…

The 2018 Organization of Latin American and Caribbean Supreme Audit Institutions (OLACEFS) General Assembly was hosted by the Argentinian Supreme Audit Institution (SAI) October 9-12, 2018. The week-long event, held in Buenos Aires, included SAIs, international cooperation agencies, and key stakeholders spanning the globe…

The Organization of Latin American and Caribbean Supreme Audit Institutions’ (OLACEFS) Commission of Performance Evaluation and Performance Indicators (CEDEIR) organized a Supreme Audit Institution (SAI) Performance Measurement Framework (PMF) Basic Training Course held in Lima, Peru…

Supreme Audit Institutions (SAI) working in complex and challenging contexts often deal with enormous challenges, yet they still find a way to carry out audit work despite the conditions. The International Organization of Supreme Audit Institutions (INTOSAI) Capacity Building Committee (CBC) has established a workstream to support these SAIs. A key workstream initiative is to…

Jamaica’s Supreme Audit Institution (SAI) hosted the Caribbean Organization of Supreme Audit Institutions (CAROSAI) 30th Anniversary Conference August 15-17, 2018. The three-day conference celebrated the theme “Building the Future on the Foundations of the Past” and included…

The International Organization of Supreme Audit Institutions (INTOSAI)-Donor Cooperation (Cooperation) kicked off the year with a new support structure and a closer cooperation with the INTOSAI Development Initiative (IDI). The INTOSAI Donor Secretariat, which has been supporting the Cooperation for the past nine years, will be…

The U.S. Comptroller General (CG), Gene L. Dodaro, had a vision: establish a team dedicated to building capacity and fostering effective accountability on a global scale. The CG’s vision and legislation led to the creation of the Center for Audit Excellence (CAE). The CAE, which was officially launched by the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) in October 2015…