PRESS RELEASE: AUDIT REPORTS RECENTLY PUBLISHED BY THE AUDITOR GENERAL(AG) OF THE NATIONAL AUDIT OFFICE (NAO)
Acting on the Provisions of the 1997 Constitution of the Gambia, the Auditor General of the National Audit Office (NAO) has recently published the following audit reports for public consumption and engagement:
- Audit of the Financial Statements of Government of The Gambia (GoTG) for 2017 and 2018 financial years.
- Compliance Audit of COVID-19 Response (Phase 1): Procurement and Distribution of Food and Medical items within the Greater Banjul Area.
- Performance Audit on Cargo Handling by the Gambia Ports Authority (GPA).
- Performance Audit on the Provision of Farm Inputs by the Ministry of Agriculture (MOA).
- Follow-Up Audit on the Storage and Distribution of Drugs by the Central Medical Services (CMS).
- Performance Audit on Emergency Obstetric Care provided at Public Health Facilities by Ministry of Health. (This report won a regional award for the NAO as the best Performance audit report).
The above reports have all been published on the NAO website (www.nao.gm), including other audit reports. There are plans to simplify some of these reports to more citizen friendly versions, in order to enhance public understanding of the key findings and support the implementation of recommendations to improve use of public resources.
As the Supreme Audit Institution (SAI) of the country, we are cognizant of the importance of public engagement to highlight our relevance as an office. As part of simplifying the technical audit reports to citizen-friendly versions, the NAO will also engage in series of stakeholder engagements to discuss the contents of the audit reports with the public, especially civil society and media. The office will also hold radio programmes as well as use of its social media platforms in the dissemination of information and posting of simplified audit products.
We encourage our stakeholders, especially civil society and the media – to visit the NAO website, social media and take part in our press conferences and stakeholder workshops This will avail them the opportunity to learn more about the audit reports, in order to have better understanding of our work, which we hope will translate to greater public awareness and action. We believe it is through collective efforts that we can advocate for greater accountability and transparency in the use of public resources.
The office is still grappling with a backlog of unaudited Financial Statements of GoTG. However, progress is being made in this regard with the completion and publication of the 2017 and 2018 audit reports. The 2019 Financial Statements of GoTG is currently being printed for submission to the National Assembly, while the draft 2020 Financial Statements of GoTG has been received and now scheduled for audit.
With close collaboration with the Accountant General’s Department, all efforts are being made to complete the backlog of unaudited Financial Statements and report on a current year basis from 2023.
Through our Communications Unit, we will continue to improve our information sharing and engagement with stakeholders. We have an open-feedback email (info@nao.gm) for stakeholders to share feedback on the audit products designed by the office, or on any other matters around the work of the NAO.
You can contact us for information request or feedback at the office address below, and on any of our social media handles (Twitter: @NAOGambia; Linkedin: National Audit Office The Gambia).
Signed Karamba Touray
Auditor General, National Audit Office
Link to performance audit reports: https://nao.gm/performance-audit-reports/
Link to audited financial statements: https://nao.gm/gotg-financial-statement/
Link to other audit reports: https://nao.gm/other-audit-reports/
