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The General Auditing Commission (GAC) had lauded the World Bank for the valuable assistance it is rendering the GAC over the last two years.

GAC release says the World Bank has provided support to the GAC through the EGRIP with a total of US$1.2 million awarded to the Commission.

GAC release indicates that the stipulated amount was used for infrastructural support; for 5 vehicles, 70 lap tops and 20 desk tops and internet and intranet and in the area of capacity building, including specialized training such as IT Audit, Procurement Audit, Financial Statement, Revenue Audit, IPSAS, IFRS, among others.

According to the GAC, the World Bank assistance extended to the library services to facilitate continued professional development that is geared toward meeting INTOSAI CPE requirement of 80 hours every two years. More standardize and modern books covering auditing and accounting were also donated to the GAC by the World Bank.

GAC says it has finished 25 audits and in the process of completing 32 additional audits and that infrastructure has been a challenge for the GAC, as a new Supreme Audit Institution (SAI) which did not inherit an asset base.

“It would have been impossible for GAC to carry out these audits including the five HIPC audits without the 5 vehicles provided by the World Bank, the 70 laptops and 20 desktops computers,” GAC release quotes Auditor General Morlu, adding “the computers have helped to improve the efficiency of our audits and the vehicles have enabled the GAC to audit in every county, district, city and town.

AG Morlu also emphasized that in no small measure the World Bank provided vehicles have made it possible for GAC to go wherever Liberian taxes are collected and spent throughout Liberia.

The Auditor General further added that the specialized courses that are funded by the World Bank will truly bring GAC in line with INTOSAI Standards, as audit specialization is now becoming the norm. “Our staff will be trained to compete globally in areas of IT Audit and procurement audit, for instance,” argued the Auditor General.

The World Bank sponsored capacity building efforts in the areas of IT audits is also preparing the GAC to more effectively audit and provide oversight of the IFMIS that is being implemented to streamline government financial management.

GAC release averred that the World Bank support extended to capacity building for legislative committees, specifically the Public Account and the Ways and Means Committees. Recruitment of short and long term consultants for the GAC is also part of the World Bank assistance, including a pending IT upgrading project.