IPNEWS: A Five-Year Project Document, aimed at strengthening the capacity of the General Auditing Commission in conducting efficient and professional audits in line with international standards, has officially been consummated between the Swedish National Audit Office and General Auditing Commission.
A formal presentation of the Five-tear Project document took place on Wednesday, September 4, 2024 at the GAC in Monrovia, Liberia.
The Auditor General of the Republic of Liberia, Hon. P. Garswa Jackson, Sr., making special remarks, expressed heartfelt appreciation to his Swedish counterpart, Ms. Helena Lindberg, for her support leading to the completion and signing of the Project Document. According to AG Jackson, the project will officially operationalize the planned capacity-building initiatives enshrined in their recently signed Five-year Memorandum of Understanding.
The Auditor General said he was proud of such opportunities because the Swedish National Audit Office has pulled a global repetition in the International Organization of Supreme Audit Institutions (INTOSAI) community for facilitating invaluable capacity initiatives. “Over the past two years working with our colleagues from SNAO, we have gained a greater level of insight and perspectives about various auditing processes and has greatly contributed to trust in achieving the quality and effectiveness of our audits here at the GAC,” AG Jackson asserted.
He indicated that the SNAO’s support to capacity-building goes beyond the traditional facilitations of training through class rooms and lectures, but include practical approaches like pre-planning discussions of audits, on sight visitation of Auditee facilities, Audit file review and reviewing feedbacks.
Earlier, the lead focused person of the project and Senior International Advisor of the SNAO, Ms. Isabelle Berglund, reiterated their commitment to fully implementing the project, admonishing both institutions (SNAO and GAC) to roll up their sleeves to have it done. She used the occasion to express thanks to the Auditor General of the Republic of Liberia for his full commitment to the project by ensuring that the General Auditing Commission becomes a modern and a more professional institution within INTOSAI.
Giving an overview of the Project, the Senior Quality Assurance Manager at the GAC and Project Lead, Mr. Raphael Quaye, disclosed that the document focused on two critical components namely: Audit, which covers Financial, Compliance and Performance Audits; and Human Resource Leadership. According to Mr. Quaye, the Five-year Project will help add value to the enhancement of audit reports and ensure effectiveness in audit processes.
Wednesday’s official presentation followed an MOU signed in early 2023 with the Swedish National Audit Office in Stockholm, Sweden through Auditor General Helena Lindberg, when Auditor General Jackson headed a GAC Delegation. A Declaration of Intent, preceding the MOU, was initially reached in Banjul, the Gambia in 2022 between the Auditor General of the Republic of Liberia and his Swedish counterpart, Ms. Lindberg, for the establishment of institutional cooperation and capacity-building projects.
The September 4, 2024 occasion was graced by the Deputy Head of Mission of the Swedish Embassy near Monrovia, Kerstin Jonesson Cisse, Deputy Director for International Affairs of the SNAO, Dag Levin Sparr (online), as well as the three Deputy Auditors General and other members of the Senior Management of the General Auditing Commission.
