Audit Service Sierra Leone Holds Breakfast Meetings With Key MDAs
The Audit Service Sierra Leone (ASSL) has been holding breakfast meetings with key Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) over the past two weeks since 7th February, 2024. The meetings are held at the headquarters of the Audit Service on the 12th Floor of the Freetown City Council Building in Freetown. The Acting Auditor-General and his team have hosted the Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, Electricity Generation and Transmission Company, Sierra Leone Maritime Administration, Sierra Leone Roads Authority, Bank of Sierra Leone, Ministry of Works and the Electricity Distribution Supply Authority
During these meetings, the Acting Auditor-General and team discussed the outstanding issues and got updates from them regarding the implementation of the audit recommendations as presented in the 2022 annual audit reports of these institutions. They also discussed the roadmap for the 2023 audits which are underway.
The Acting Auditor General, Mr Abdul Aziz pointed out that the essence of these breakfast meetings is to bridge the gap between the ASSL and the MDAs, noting that the work of the auditors is to add value to that of the MDAs. He encouraged them to implement the recommendations in the Auditor-General’s Annual Reports, adding that as auditors, the only way value can be seen in the work they do is when auditees implement their recommendations as their role ends at reporting to Parliament. He therefore encouraged them to change their attitudes by addressing the audit issues during the time of the audit and give a human face to the work they do.
He expressed concern over the repeated queries in the audit report, adding that some of them are control issues that should have been addressed during the audit. He informed them that the ASSL has changed its audit approach by going beyond the books and focusing on service delivery issues that impact the lives of the people.
The representatives from the various MDAs were allowed to explain to the ASSL, the steps taken to address the issues relating to their institutions in the 2022 audit report and promised to address the remaining issues in the 2022 audit report. They expressed satisfaction over the level of interactions with the ASSL team and promised to fully cooperate with the auditors during the 2023 audit.
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