World Bank praises SA audit institutions for 'very high independence'

Auditor-General Tsakani Maluleke has welcomed a World Bank report that heaped praise on her office.

The World Bank said that the AG's offices in SA and Seychelles were the only two among 118 institutions studied that had very high independence.

According to the “Supreme Audit Institutions Independence Index: Global Synthesis Report 2021" - which studied 118 supreme audit institutions (SAIs), excluding the US, Canada, EU countries and Australia and New Zealand - only SA and the Seychelles met all the independence indicators.

The report said independence was a critical foundation for the effective functioning of the SAIs.

“Truly independent SAIs can fulfil their mandate to reduce waste and the abuse of public resources so public resources can be better channelled for programmes that fight poverty,” the report said.

It found that 17 countries had high independence. These included Brazil and Russia.

Thirty-three countries - including India, Ghana, Botswana, Kenya and Malawi - had substantial independence.

The report found that 37 countries, including Angola, Ethiopia and Eswatini, had moderate independence while 29 countries - including Democratic Republic of the Congo, Egypt and Burundi - had low independence.

Maluleke said the report was a credit to the country's constitution, which protected the independence of the AG's office to carry out its work without interference.

She said the recognition of the office of the AG in the international arena was a significant mark of achievement for the country.

“It entrenches our profile and reputation among global stakeholders and peers, thus putting SA on the map.

“This announcement is also the good news that our country currently needs to show the world that, while we have challenges like other nations, we are still a global force to be reckoned with as we have systems such as the National Audit Office that could turn our governance plight around if its audit counsel is followed religiously,” Maluleke said.

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