Pacific workshop enhances auditing’s oversight functions

The Auditor-General’s Office of Solomon Islands, together with the Pacific Association of Supreme Audit Institutions and the Pacific Financial Technical Center, hosted a Pacific regional workshop in Honiara, Solomon Islands from Dec. 5 to 9, 2016, at the Heritage Hotel.

The theme of this joint PASAI/PFTAC workshop, “Strengthening Oversight Functions of Public Financial Management through Internal and External Audit,” is the first in the Pacific region where the objective was to impart knowledge about the critical roles played by external audit (audit offices or also known as supreme audit institutions, or SAIs, and internal audit to improve and contribute to strengthening public financial management to enhance the ability of governments to deliver key services to its citizens.

Twenty-seven auditors from respective SAIs (external audit) and government internal audit divisions/agencies participated in this weeklong workshop representing seven Pacific countries: Cook Islands, Fiji, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, and Vanuatu.

Participants were encouraged to consider cooperation and coordination with each other to maximize the benefits gained from working together. Toward the end of the workshop, participants from internal and external audit offices of each country spent time to discuss possible collaboration and presented joint country strategies on avenues where they can work together. PASAI/PFTAC will continue to encourage this collaboration through follow up and continuing dialogue with these auditors.

In his opening remarks, Solomon Islands Auditor-General Peter Lokay stated, “This first regional collaboration between internal auditors and external auditor is significant because it will promote good governance through contributions to accountability and transparency in the use of public resources, as well as to promote efficient, effective and economic public administration, to make a difference to the lives of our people in the Pacific.”

The regional workshop was developed and delivered by a highly experienced team including PASAI’s director of Technical Support Agnes Aruwafu (external audit expert), Sue Morrison (internal audit expert), Chita Marzan, PFTAC’s PFM expert, together with invaluable input from Paul Apps, past president/board of directors of the Institute of Internal Audit [IIA Australia]. A session was also delivered by Mark Thompson and Vance Hetariki from Teammate Wolters Kluwer.

PASAI commended the Solomon Islands Office of the Auditor-General for their excellent support and for making this workshop a great success. This included arranging for delegates to be a part of the national “Walk Against Corruption” with them on International Anti-Corruption Day, Dec. 9 and witnessing the launch of the National Anti-Corruption Strategy by Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare.

PASAI acknowledged the financial support of the Australian government’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade and the New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade and the collaborative ongoing joint regional partnership with PFTAC.