Legislation Passed to Integrate Audit Commission Functions into Finance Ministry

• The House of Representatives, on Tuesday (September 19), passed legislation to provide for the integration of the functions of the Audit Commission into the Ministry of Finance and the Public Service.
• Portfolio Minister, Dr. the Hon. Nigel Clarke, who piloted the Financial Administration and Audit (Amendment) (no.2) Act, 2023, explained that the move is in keeping with the government’s policy on the categorisation and rationalisation of public bodies under the public-sector rationalization programme.
• This includes merging, closing and divesting entities and reintegrating others. The objective is to “achieve a reduction in their numbers as well as facilitate improved operational efficiencies”.
• The Audit Commission was established as a statutory body according to Section 33 (C), subsection one of the FAA Act. It is charged with evaluating the performance of audit committees within government departments to ensure their continued effectiveness, promoting best practices in the operation of audit committees, monitoring the performance of each audit committee against its Charter, and performing such other functions as are assigned to it by the Minister, among other things

(Source: JIS News)