Public audit is key to enhancing accountability of resources

The Opposition has gone to court to challenge the Public Audit Act 2015. Their contention is that part of the Act limits the scope of audit of security agencies, and undermines the independence of the Auditor General by placing his staff under the Public Service Commission. I will not delve into the merits or otherwise of these issues as it would be prejudicial to the case before the court.

But the case highlights the significance of the Office of Auditor General (OAG) in public financial management. The passage of this law was not easy, and was subjected to a mediation committee of both Houses twice. It was therefore not wholly unexpected that CORD will go to court to challenge sections of it. But whichever way the court rules, disagreements over the outcome of annual audits of public institutions will continue to generate heated arguments across the political divide as we have seen in recent years.