Parliament to appoint external auditor to audit Office of Auditor General

The Office of the Auditor General has handed over the responsibility of evaluating tenders to appoint an external auditor to audit the accounts of the Office of the Auditor General.

The office signed a Memorandum of Agreement with the Office of the Secretary General to Parliament to clearly demarcate the role and responsibility to advertise and evaluate tenders to appoint the external auditor for the Office of the Auditor General.

Section 14(1) of the Audit Act 1969 provides that the Speaker of Parliament may appoint a natural person to audit the accounts of the Office of the Auditor-General for a term not exceeding 3 years.

Prior to the execution of this agreement, the Auditor General’s Office advertised and evaluated the expressions of interest/tender submissions.

At the conclusion of the evaluation process, the office submits a recommendation to the Speaker of Parliament.

Upon receipt of the recommendation, the Speaker of Parliament then appoints an external auditor to audit the accounts of the Auditor General’s Office.

In a statement, the Auditor General’s Office says that this has been the practice since the Audit Act 1969 was amended in 2006.

The MOA was signed by the Acting Secretary General to Parliament, Viniana Namosimalua and the Auditor General, Ajay Nand.

Nand says transferring of this role to the Parliament will promote greater independence and transparency in the selection and appointment of the external auditor for the Auditor General’s Office.