BY IRWIN ANGIKI
The country’s institute of accountants (ISIA) has added its voice to the growing call for government action to investigate the audit report findings on the economic stimulus package (ESP).
ISIA’s call joins that of the Leader of Opposition Matthew Wale, Transparency Solomon Islands (TSI), Solomon Islands Council of Trade Union (SICTU), and public for government and relevant authorities to act on the OAG report of the economic stimulus package (ESP) 2020-2021.
Chair of parliament’s public accounts committee Gordon Darcy Lilo, MP for Central Honiara, has told media that he intends on initiating a full hearing into the OAG’s ESP report.
In a statement themed ‘Drastic Reforms in Public Sector Financial Reporting Standards and Strengthening of Integrity Institutions is the way forward’, the Institute of Solomon Islands Accountants (ISIA) said:
“The seriousness of these breaches calls for immediate government action to further investigate based on the findings of the Auditor General to hold those responsible for these breaches to account.
“These investigations must be pursued with all the due process required, and with the assurance of the integrity and independence of the authorities concerned.
“Any conflict of interest, or perceptions thereof, of those involved in these inquiries or investigations should be avoided.
“A credible mechanism including relevant central agencies of the Government and watchdog institutions should provide the necessary support and impetus to appropriate authorities like RSIPF and Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) to take these matters further to conclusive outcomes.
“Effective deterrents and consequences are a necessary part of longer term structural and capacity improvements in public financial management in Government.”
Meanwhile, ISIA also recommends strengthening of integrity institutions such the Office of the Auditor General (OAG), Solomon Islands Commission Against Corruption (SICAC), the Leadership Code Commission (LCC), the Office of the Ombudsman, and Transparency Solomon Islands (TSI).
“This practically means that the Government should ensure that these organisations are fully resourced (and truly independent).
“This is how the Government can practically show their commitment to the fight against corruption – by ensuring high standards of transparency and accountability over the systems and processes through which public resources are being managed and allocated.”
The OAG released its audit of the ESP on Wednesday last week. The audit covered the ESP from 2020-2021.
The report’s findings revealed ‘major fraud risk, poor to non-existent administrative controls and almost zero transparency in the disbursement of $309 million in government funds’, an OAG statement this week described.
