Tag: transparency

Good governance depends on the efficient and transparent management of public funds. Financial audits and oversight mechanisms have become increasingly important as public trust is closely tied to financial accountability. These audits and mechanisms have two main purposes: detecting and preventing corruption and mismanagement, as well as promoting transparency and strengthening institutions to deliver tangible benefits to citizens.

In the context of Myanmar’s ongoing political, economic, social, and administrative reforms, public expectations are increasing regarding the effective use of citizen-owned resources and the sound public financial management by the government.

Supreme Audit Institutions (SAIs) are crucial for good governance, accountability, and transparency. In Bhutan, the Royal Audit Authority (RAA) audits public resources, with its effectiveness critically dependent on independence amidst political, economic, or institutional pressures. This article examines SAI Bhutan’s real-world experiences, highlighting its successes in safeguarding independence and the persistent challenges it faces, drawing insights from official publications, peer reviews, and specific audit cases.

In 2023, the Federal Court of Accounts (TCU), the SAI of Brazil, issued 137 decisions containing deliberations for its jurisdictional units. These decisions generated 1,110 items subject to monitoring, including determinations and recommendations. Monitoring the implementation and impact of these deliberations is a process as important as the audits themselves, demanding a considerable effort from the SAI’s resources.

Through the proper mechanisms and implementation of integrity, transparency and accountability principles, the Corruption Eradication Commission of Indonesia, along with other oversight institutions, contribute to eradicating corruption in the public sector.

Multiple INTOSAI entities jointly organized a discussion panel in New York City to spotlight Supreme Audit Institution (SAI) contributions to the United Nations’ (UN) 2030 Agenda and efforts to address UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

The Open Budget Index (OBI), developed by the International Budget Partnership (IBP), assessed the transparency of budget processes and the availability of budget information to the public. In the 2021 report, the Chamber of Accounts of Azerbaijan scored well in several categories.

SAI Peru is expanding its concurrent control to all public procurement of goods, provision of services, and execution of public works over 10 million soles (approximately $2.45 million USD), in accordance with a new law passed by the Congress of the Republic. Concurrent control’s real-time, multidisciplinary oversight enables SAIs to…

In September 2021, the INTOSAI Development Initiative (IDI) released the Global Supreme Audit Institution (SAI) Stocktaking Report 2020, the fourth triennial analysis of data from an INTOSAI Global Survey on SAI performance and capacities. The report, which covers the period of 2017 to 2019, marks the 10-year anniversary of the Global Stocktaking, which has been an important source of…

As an international lender of last resort, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) has been the largest provider of emergency financing for COVID-19, making available an unprecedented $250 billion to over 85 member countries. These funds, which have largely been used as domestic budget support, have been critical in bolstering governments’ responses to the pandemic. However, the rapid dispersal of these vast sums has increased the risk of…

OLACEFS’ Technical Commission for Good Governance Practices, led by Lic. Jesús Rodríguez, President of the National Audit Office of the Argentine Nation, has produced the fourth Index of Availability of Information to Citizens about SAIs’ Management (IDIGI-EFS 2021).

In 2020, the Office of the Comptroller General of the Republic of Costa Rica, the country’s Supreme Audit Institution (SAI), designed a strategic audit approach to assess Bono Proteger, a government program that provides $100-200 USD cash payments, for up to three months, to…

To promote a culture of ethics, probity, and transparency in public administration, the Supreme Audit Institution (SAI) of Guatemala recently released a mobile app, available for iOS and Android, which enables citizens themselves to…

SAIs are called upon to lead by example, as stated in ISSAI 20, which indicates transparency is a powerful force in combating corruption, improving governance and promoting accountability. The SAO of Hungary has employed several mechanisms over the years to enhance transparency and promote…

Supreme Audit Institutions (SAIs) play a vital role in oversight by promoting transparency, verifying government account accuracy and reliability, evaluating spending compliance, assessing such spending’s efficiency and effectiveness, and supporting the fight against corruption. This article explores the relationship between transparency and…

In July 2020, the Supreme Audit Office of the Slovak Republic (SAO SR) developed a new interactive analytical tool called the Municipalities on Map (MuMAP). The application…

Amid a global pandemic that is forcing governments around the world to launch new spending measures, the International Budget Partnership’s (IBP) latest Open Budget Survey (OBS) shows why there is reason for concern: four out of five of the 117 governments assessed failed to reach the minimum threshold for adequate…

In an official a ceremony in Mexico City, the Supreme Audit Institution (SAI) of Mexico transferred the Organization of Latin American and Caribbean Supreme Audit Institutions (OLACEFS) presidency to the SAI of Peru. During the oath-taking ceremony…

Last year, a law was enacted to strengthen Peru’s Supreme Audit Institution (SAI) and National Control System (NCS), marking a historic milestone in the fight against corruption in the Peruvian State. Since then, SAI Peru has…

New resources are now available that Supreme Audit Institutions (SAIs) may find helpful when conducting audits using the extractive industries value chain, which describes the development process from discovery through extraction to lasting value creation for society. An important step in the value chain process is awarding contracts and licenses…

In 2016, Korea spent approximately 25 trillion won on Social Overhead Capital (SOC), which equates to roughly 15% of the central government’s budget. The SOC is defined as 46 specified infrastructure projects—roads, railroads, harbors, dams and schools. These projects, major sources of financial burdens to administrative agencies, have demonstrated, through several studies, overestimated demand forecasts and underestimated costs…

Each audit carried out by the National Audit Office of Lithuania (NAOL) results in an audit report describing findings, as well as recommendations on how to improve the performance of an audited entity. Audit recommendations, part of the audit report, are accessible on the NAOL website after the audit is completed. Until now…