|
|
Change Your Life! |
International conference on auditing begins |
|
News
|
|
|
September 10, 2000
Dhaka (UNB)- Finance Minister Shah AMS Kibria said audit is a big check to secure accountability and transparency of government functions and fight out corruption in governance. Briefing newsmen on an international conference on auditing, he said audit is not a mere technical thing, it is the yardstick to make government functions proper and free from corruption. “Ensuring accountability and transparency of the government activities is Awami League’s election manifesto,” Kibria said. The office of the Comptroller and Auditor General in association with UNDP and World Bank is organising three-day conference on “Improving oversight functions: Challenges in the New Millennium,” first of its kind in Bangladesh. President Justice Shahabuddin Ahmed is scheduled to open the conference in Hotel Sonargaon at 10 am tomorrow. Senior executives of premier audit institutions from 19 countries, including USA, Australia, Canada, China, India, Indonesia, Korea, Malaysia, Netherlands, UK and Pakistan have so far confirmed their participation. The conference is the outcome of the Country Financial Accountability Assessment, jointly supported by UNDP and World Bank. It is also linked with strengthening the office of CAG (STAG) project. The Finance Minister said audit reports, furnished by the CAG office, remained shelved in the past as the previous governments, military rulers in particular, were not accountable. Since the present government is committed to transparency and accountability, the audit reports are being placed in Parliament, discussed in public accounts committee and published in the press. He said audit reports are public documents and requested the journalists to make news out of those reports once they are placed in Parliament. Comptroller and Auditor General of Bangladesh Syed Yusuf Hossain said the conference is aimed at gathering opinions from participants to work out a strategy of how to make key audit institutions more effective in the light of financial reforms initiated by the government. The deliberations at the conference will focus on how to strengthen responsible oversight and supervisory functions on overall administrative and soci-economic activities in Bangladesh. Although Parliament, national audit institution and accountancy profession usually perform the oversight functions, news media, anti-corruption agency and office of the ombudsman can also play a vital role in the process, he said. There is no alternative to accountability, transparency and good governance to make soci-economic activities welfare-oriented, balanced and smooth. “To achieve this, a careful, strong and effective monitoring and supervision on all activities is a must.” The international conference will provide ample experience to parliamentary committees, CAG office and accountancy professionals — all those involved in the oversight process in Bangladesh — to map out reforms in their own premises and improve the services. It will also give a new guideline to the private accountancy professionals to give an analytical overview of private sector activities, the CAG said. Hossain told a questioner that the government has already set a standard of auditing to modernise the conventional financial audit and steps have also been taken to develop the practice of performance audit. Three separate working sessions will be held on Parliamentary Control of Public Expenditures, Public Sector Auditing and Accountancy Profession in Bangladesh. The concluding session will come out with a set of recommendations. New resident representative of UNDP Jorgen Lissner, also preferring frequent press reports on audit findings, said taxpayers have the right to see their money is managed honestly and efficiently.
|