Mogadishu (PP News Desk) — In a press statement released today the Somalia Office of Auditor General publicised what it described as the outcome of investigations into compliance with regulations, review of donor-funded projects and annual financial investigations. Despite publishing several annual reports since 2018, the Office of the Auditor General indicated that U$28 million from private contractors remain unaccounted for, while loans from IMF ($96 million dollars) were not submitted for “investigation.”
The Somalia Minister for Finance Dr Elmi M. Nur said that he was aware of the press release. “While respecting the independence of the Office of The Auditor General, the Ministry will examine the report and provide an appropriate response at the earliest opportunity” tweeted the Minister.
An experienced public finances auditor told Puntland Post that the terms of reference used in the press release such as “to investigate in relation to the loans from the IMF misdescribes the mandate of the Office of the Auditor General which invalidated annual reports issued by it.”
The Office of the Auditor General published annual reports for the first time from 2018, a development that raised questions about President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud’s commitment to accountability during his first term of office ( 2012-2017).
In 2018 the Financial Governance Committee urged the Federal Government of Somalia to conduct “a full inventory of the Federal Government property and public property sold or leased since 2012” . The Federal Government under Prime Minister Hassan Ali Kheire did not carry out the investigations recommended by the Financial Governance Committee as a part of the public finance reforms and transparency.
“The Somalia Finance Ministry might disband the Office of the Auditor General to create a new office if it proves difficult to damage the reputation of the former Federal Government of Somalia under President Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed” said a retired economist in Mogadishu.
© Puntland Post, 2022
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