Strong Momentum Continues Around Audit Initiative

Strong Momentum Continues Around The Pacific Regional Audit Initiative (PRAI).

PRAI is an initiative in the Pacific Plan endorsed by Forum Leaders in 2005 and subsequently supported by Forum Economic Ministers. It seeks to strengthen regional support to audit services within the region to improve integrity and financial scrutiny.

One of the latest developments under the initiative has been achieved with the opening of a secretariat for the Pacific Association of Supreme Audit Institutions (PASAI) early this year in Auckland, New Zealand.

Other key achievements under the PRAI initiative include the completion of the PASAI Charter, the ongoing implementation of a Cooperative Performance Audit on waste management – the first of its kind to be undertaken in the Pacific – and the implementation of the PASAI Subregional Support Programme in Kiribati, Tuvalu and Nauru.

Secretary General of the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat, Tuiloma Neroni Slade, says the steady developments around the PRAI initiative are extremely encouraging.

“This is an initiative that has seen good, steady progress since Leaders identified it as key to Good Governance in the Pacific Plan,” said Mr Slade. “The momentum has been largely achieved thanks to Forum Economic Ministers guidance and development partners’ commitment to achieving tangible results. We must keep up this drive towards uniformly raising public auditing standards in the region.”

The PASAI Secretariat comprises Mr Eroni Vatuloka as Executive Director and Ms Sook Ling Vun as Office Manager. A Capacity Building Advisor, a Technical and Methodology Advisor and an Administrative Assistant will commence work in April.

“The enhanced PASAI Secretariat will now be able to proceed with programmes independently and more actively work towards achieving the strategic objectives of PRAI,” said Mr Vatuloka.

PRAI is currently co-funded by the Asian Development Bank, AUSAID and the INTOSAI Development Initiative (IDI) under the guidance of the PASAI Governing Board.

PASAI is a regional organisation representing 25 audit institutions in the Pacific and is one of seven regional working groups of the International Organisation of Supreme Audit Institutions.

Ends

© Scoop Media