House urges corrections for audit findings

(Parliament news): June 30, 2021; Addis Ababa: The 16th regular session of the 5th House of peoples’ Representatives urged strong and effective correction measures whenever dealing with audit findings.

The House urged this in its recent deliberative meeting mainly focusing on the report presentation of audit findings and related issues by Her Excellence Meseret Damte, Deputy Auditor-General for Audit Operations in the Office of Federal Auditor-General.

After hearing the presentation, an MP named Honourable Shambel Negassa urged; office of the Auditor-General, along with partners, shall exert all efforts for applying exemplary corrective measures upon institutions marked with audit findings. He specifically mentioned Higher Commissions of education for their frequent annual findings.

Honourable Petros Woldesenbet on his part indicated, the Office shall think of diminishing such a huge finding at its base by enhancing the skill and capacity of internal auditors through training and formal education and emancipating them from the prevailing influences of management bodies.

Honourable Tadesse Meselu, the other MP underscored, though the report by itself is good, the House shall not be bounded by hearing reports and shall exercise its legal power of examining the executive bodies when they encounter such an audit failure.

Her Excellence Meseret Damte, Deputy Auditor-General for Audit Operations in the Office of Federal Auditor-General admitted the no change situation in the sector and pointed her office is aiming of integrated operations with stakeholders such as Ministry of Finance, Attorney General and the Federal Police.

In addition, she requested the House for salary increment of the public servants working for her office as it has already helped the new structure of the office become true.

Honourable Shitaye Minale, Deputy Speaker of the House replied; the House shall try to make salary increment for the public servants of the office as per the financial resource of the nation, along the proper time deemed right.

The 61 pages generalized audit report doc indicates, Metu University carries an audit finding about 68 million Birr. Auditor-General also confirmed the uncollected debt collection account from contractors amounting more than 1 hundred 6 million Ethiopian Birr. Readers may refer such and other numerous findings from the doc.      

Translated by Asrat Addisu