Cameroon: AfDB, govt programme to strengthen supreme audit institutions
The launch took place during a ceremony held in Yaoundé, Cameroon.
The Cameroonian Minister Delegate at the Presidency in
charge of Superior Audit, Ms Mbah Acha Rose Fomundam, presided over the meeting
in her capacity as Chair of the Regional Training Council of Supreme Audit
Institutions of Sub-Saharan Francophone Africa.
The programme countries are Cameroon, the Central African
Republic, Chad, Mali, Niger and Togo.
A number of senior government officials took part in the
event. These included the chair of the court of auditors of the Supreme Court
of Chad, the inspector-general of Public Services for Mali and the
representative of the first president of the court of auditors of Togo. The
First President of the Court of Auditors of Niger attended the proceedings by
videoconference, as did a representative of the International Organization of
Supreme Audit Institutions. An African Development Bank delegation also took
part in the launch and in a number of activities held from June 21-23, 2022.
On the sidelines of the launch ceremony, a capacity-building
workshop was held for staff of the Regional Training Council of Supreme Audit
Institutions of Sub-Saharan Francophone Africa and focal points of supreme
audit institutions participating in the programme.
The initiative, which has received $2.53 million in funding
from the African Development Bank, works to strengthen the transparency and
accountability of public financial management. It also aims to contribute to a
better harmonization of standards and tools and to the professionalization of
an increased number of public-sector accountants and auditors. Among the
program’s other aims are to strengthen the institutional, professional and
human capacity of supreme audit institutions, while incorporating a gender
dimension.
Additionally, it also strengthens organizational capacities
of supreme audit institutions and deepens regional partnerships and
collaboration among key stakeholders. Lastly, the initiative works to develop a
pool of sectoral experts at the regional and continental levels.
"The challenges are many, covering the auditing of
revenues, public spending, and the financial statements of central government
and its branches. The project will support the Regional Training Council of
Supreme Audit Institutions of Sub-Saharan Francophone Africa, which has a
mandate to strengthen the capacities of audit institutions and external audit
bodies," said Sekou Keita, manager of the African Development Bank's
Fiduciary Services and Inspection Department.
"I will like to reiterate the readiness of the African
Development Bank Group to work with its regional member countries to implement
one of its main mandates, to strengthen the financial management of African
countries through support for national bodies involved in the management of
public finances," he added.
The capacity-building session focused on four themes. The first comprised disbursement procedures, general principles, the preparation of payment requests and the use of Bank forms, and the eligibility criteria for Bank-financed expenditure.
The second theme addressed procurement, with a focus on
fundamental principles and practical cases of procurement of goods and services.
The third theme was monitoring and evaluation, including the need for a
dedicated unit with adequate tools and sufficient financial and human
resources. The fourth and final theme centred on financial management, the
foundations and requirements of which were presented to participants and
programme-implementation staff.
François Ndoubahidi, an advisor in the Financial and
Budgetary Affairs Control Section of the Supreme Court of Chad, said, "The
training was very satisfying, because we learned a lot. It was an opportunity,
as a local team, to better equip ourselves to carry out this project, which is
of great importance to our institution."
Other topics, which will be addressed in a future session, include: finalization and submission of terms of reference for services, the transmission of the procurement plan, submission of the general procurement notice and review of the workplan and budget for 2022-2023.
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