ASSL Engages CSOs on Audit Recommendations
In a bid to foster the effective implementation of the 2022 audit recommendations, the Audit Service Sierra Leone (ASSL) has engaged Civil Society Organisations (CSOs).
The meeting was held at the ASSL’s conference hall, on the 12th Floor of the Freetown City Council Building in Freetown.
In his opening remarks, the Acting Auditor-General, Mr Abdul Aziz, stated that the session is not the first meeting with CSOs but part of the continuous engagement with stakeholders to enhance the work of the Audit Service. He stressed that the role of CSOs is crucial in the audit process from commencement to completion. He pointed out that the ASSL is the supreme audit institution of Sierra Leone mandated to audit all public institutions for accountability and transparency.
Mr Aziz explained that as the supreme audit institution, the ASSL has improved its audit approach by going beyond the independent examination of financial records and is now focusing on service delivery which impacts the lives of citizens. He highlighted the performance audit division of the ASSL, which deals mainly with audits focusing on service delivery. He stated that environment and equity have been added to economy, efficiency and effectiveness which are the key aspects of performance audits.
The Acting Auditor-General urged CSOs to hold public authorities accountable on behalf of the citizens, for the effective implementation of audit recommendations that will positively impact the lives of the people.
Mr Aziz further said, as a Supreme Audit Institution, the work of the Audit Service cannot be done in isolation without the involvement of CSOs and other key stakeholders.
CSOs present at the meeting expressed appreciation for the effort of the ASSL to engage them, and promised to collaborate with the relevant authorities for the implementation of audit recommendations. They urged the ASSL to fully involve them in the audit process from the beginning to the end. All the CSOs at the meeting called for the establishment of a CSO Taskforce with a Memorandum of Understanding for partnership to ensure the effective implementation of audit recommendations. The meeting attracted mostly civil society organisations in the accountability sector.
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