By Grace Q. Bryant
Liberia’s Auditor General, P. Garswa Jackson, has proposed to the Legislature a System Review Audit as part of efforts to ensure a future comprehensive audit of that branch of government.
The Auditor General made the recommendation on Thursday, when he appeared before the House of Representatives to discuss issues centered on transparency and accountability in the fight against corruption.
It can be recalled that the House of Representatives invited the Auditor General to discuss ways forward to ensuring the possibility of the Legislature being audited.
According to the AG, the Legislature is one branch of government that is yet to be audited.
“If an institution has not been audited for so long, there is a high likelihood that the institution may not be in the position to be audited,” he disclosed.
In his presentation, the Auditor General recommended that the Proposed System Review audit will facilitate a future comprehensive audit of the Legislature within a period of two years.
“I have come to propose to this August body that the GAC commission a comprehensive system review that will allow the GAC to comprehend and look at the system and identify those areas of system, control, and financial management weakness,” he added.
Jackson revealed that the new measure will put into place a clear financial system in compliance with various financial policies, including the Public Financial Management Law and other important financial instruments.
This, he said, will be aided by the General Auditing Commission Followup Unit, comprising qualified auditors, accompanied by a periodic review.
The AG then disclosed that within two years, the Legislature will be comprehensively audited by the General Auditing Commission, after these systems are put into place.
He maintained that the quest for transparency and accountability is very key because it gives all public officials an opportunity to account for the stewardship of all public resources.
“We appreciate the Legislature for their oversight role in ensuring that transparency and accountability are adhered to, but we also have come to make a passionate appeal to the legislature to see a reason to be a part of this exercise,” he appealed.
According to him, the President’s recent inauguration indicated that transparency and accountability will be highly prioritized by the Executive, but he hopes that similar actions will be adopted by other branches of government to paraphrase.
He furthered that the process will send a clear message that the 55th Legislature is very committed to adherence to transparency and accountability in the country.
At the end of the presentation, AG Jackson’s proposal was tabled and sent to the relevant committees on Public Accounts and Audits.
Jackson also used the occasion to highlight progress and challenges of the Commission, with a clear emphasis on the lack of full budgetary support to the Anti-Graft Institution, clothed with the responsibility to audit all entities funded by the Government of Liberia.
