Services
Our primary role is to audit the accounts of public sector agencies and to report our opinion on the spending of public sector finances to the Legislative Council, Accounting Officers and taxpayers. A secondary role is to provide funding agents with information that would assure them that their monies were spent wisely and as intended. Our Services include the following:
Financial Audits
We conduct financial audits of the Public Accounts. This includes auditing the revenues and expenditures of forty-two (42) central government ministries and departments. We also undertake examinations of several stand-alone ‘statements’ such as the Statement of Public Debt and Statement of Contingent Liabilities. We conduct financial audits of several quasi-government agencies and not-for-profit private sector organizations.
The Auditor-General is mandated to form an opinion as to whether the accounts are free from material mis-statement. The Auditor-General is required to state whether the transactions conform to appropriate legislative authority. With respect to quasi-government agency accounts, the Auditor General must state whether the accounts conform to international accounting standards.
Value-for-money/Performance Audits
These audits focus on how specific public sector projects, programmes and activities were implemented. They examine the way the policies were effected and assess whether value-for-money was obtained. Note it is not the role of the OAG to examine the merits of the policies.
A value-for-money examination involves assessing performance, identifying good practice and recommending improvements to minimize costs (economy); maximize the ratio of output to input (efficiency); and determine the extent to which objectives were achieved (effectiveness).
Provide Advice to the Accounting Officers and Heads of Departments
We examine the financial and control systems implemented by Accounting Officers and Heads of Departments in order to:
- Provide assurances that control systems are working effectively;
- Alert them to things that are going wrong within their systems or could lead to potential losses;
- Advise them of the need to make changes to internal control systems or legislation and assist them in making the changes (‘guide dog’ function); and
- Make recommendations that would lead to improved services and economic development of the country.
Provide Advice to the Public Accounts Committee
The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) is the organ legitimized by the State through Legislative Council Standing Orders #65 to hold the Executive to account. The Office of the Auditor General provides technical advice to that Committee.
The PAC reviews reports issued by the Auditor-General and determines issues for further examination. During this process the Auditor General gives guidance on issues for discussion. The PAC takes evidence from Accounting Officers and other senior government official entrusted with stewardship of public funds and makes recommendations for the management and use of those funds. The PAC issues its own report to Parliament.
Provide information to donor/funding agents
Various donor agents provide financial support for development projects. We audit these projects and provide information to funding agents that would allow them to judge if their that their funds are appropriately used for the development of the country and hence enable further financial support.