The API Takes Part in the AFROSAI-E Strategy Review Meeting
The African Organisation of Supreme Audit Institutions from English speaking countries (AFROSAI-E) held its strategy review and Board meeting in Accra, Ghana from 8th to 12th May 2023. AFROSAI-E is one of the founding API partner organisations and plays a vital role of protection of the public interest. Supreme Audit Institutions (SAIs) are crucial to the success of Public Finance Management (PFM) reforms as they undertake the core PFM function of scrutiny of how public finances are managed and applied.
AFROSAI-E’s vision is to make a difference in the performance of SAIs. This vision will be realised through achievement of AFROSAI-E’s Mission – Commitment to support and cooperate with its member SAIs to enhance their institutional capacity to successfully fulfil their audit mandates, thereby making a difference in the lives of citizens.
During this key annual event, a new AFROSAI-E Board Chairperson was appointed – AG Nancy Gathungu from SAI Kenya. The new Board Vice Chairperson is AG Gherezgiher Chirum from SAI Eritrea.
Accountability and Anti-Corruption
AFROSAI-E works in the public interest and has responded to accountability and transparency issues such as illicit financial flows and corruption by issuing guidelines for use by SAIs with recommended solutions for addressing such challenges. These guidelines have covered insights related to SAI independence and responsibilities to stakeholders by establishing accountability mechanisms that meet stakeholder expectations.
The AFROSAI-E meeting in Accra provided an opportunity to discuss the challenges facing the auditing profession in a rapidly changing world. The objective of the deliberations and experience sharing is to strengthen the weak links within the public sector accountability chain. The result is to impact economic growth and sustainable service delivery to African citizens.
SAI’s need the necessary capacity to implement and institutionalise lessons learnt from training and capacity building initiatives. There is a need to institutionalise the Institutional Capacity Building Framework (ICBF) in SAIs.
There is also a need to be intentional about championing effective planning, manging programs and reporting on the results achieved thereby making a difference in the lives and livelihood of the citizens.
During the meeting, the Ghana SAI was recognised for the award of the best performance audit report for the second year in a row. This is the third time that they have won the award. The independent international panel unanimously declared SAI Ghana this year’s winner after considering its performance against robust and comprehensive criteria.
The report on “Fleet management of the national ambulance service” addresses an issue of great importance for health care in Ghana. The shortage of ambulances in Ghana has long been known, and the purpose of the audit was to establish whether the measures put in place are sustainable and provide adequate care when needed.
This recognition is a confirmation of SAI Ghana having excellent auditors within the SAI office. SAI Ghana has invested greatly in the training of performance audits for SAI staff.
Presentation to the AFROSAI-E Board
During the strategy review meeting, the African Professionalisation Initiative (API) Team had an opportunity to present to the AFROSAI-E Board on the achievements in the past year and plans that are currently being implemented. The Board applauded the API team for a good job and pledged full support to ensure that the professionalisation initiative is a success.
Our Vision: An African public sector capacitated with competent, ethical and influential professionals who support accountability, transparency and good financial governance.
Our Mission: To grow the capacity of accountancy professionals in the African public sector for enhanced service delivery.
The API Organisation and Learning Programmes
The API is an independent non-profit organisation whose primary objective is to strengthen the capacity and knowledge base of accounting and auditing professionals in the African public sector to enhance accounting and auditing service delivery to the citizens of Africa.
The API Learning Programme aims to achieve the above institutional goal a partnership between the accountancy profession (represented by the Pan African Federation of Accountants (“PAFA”)), accountants general or their equivalent (currently being represented by the East and Southern African Association of Accountants (“ESAAG” – and in the near future the Association of African Accountants General – “AAAG”)), and supreme audit institutions or courts of auditors (represented by the English (“AFROSAI-E”) and French (“CREFIAF”) language sub-groups of the African Organisation of Supreme Audit Institutions (“AFROSAI”)) .
Contact the API team for more details: info@professionalisation.africa | www.professionalisation.africa