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The General Auditing Commission (GAC) says more than sixty supreme auditors will leave for the 15 counties  early next  week on field verification for the second phase of the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) audits.

GAC release indicates that the supreme auditors will be in the various counties for close to two weeks to verify and corroborate projects, financial transactions, documentations, payrolls and other relevant information from the outposts of the five ministries that are under the HIPC spotlight; namely, Health, Education, Lands Mines and Energy, Public Works and the Finance.

GAC release says the last phase of the HIPC which covers the fiscal year ended 2007/2008 started last year with those listed ministries, except the Finance Ministry and  had been  progressing slowly  due to the lack of maximum cooperation in the provision of documents and logistical support from the auditees and the Government of Liberia.

GAC says it has been operating  with only 5 jeeps working and donated by the EU and World Bank plus the Auditor General vehicle that have been used most times to conduct audits in Monrovia and the 15 counties.   

Meanwhile, the GAC is calling on the heads of the various ministries to inform their outposts or outstations staffers in those counties to fully cooperate with the supreme auditors.

Completion of the HIPC audits will help the Government of Liberia to get direct budget support and debt relief from international partners.

GAC release says  the Auditor General went the extra mile to certificate the accounts for period 2005/2006 so that the World Bank and African Development could contribute US$18 million of direct budget to the Government of Liberia. DAG Nanka and AG Morlu worked tirelessly with the Minister of Finance and the Deputy Minister of Expenditure to ensure that Liberia received the US$18 million to help in the development of Liberia.   

GAC says the first phase of the HIPC audits covered fiscal year for 2006/2007 and this was completed and submitted to the President, the National Legislature, and the international partners and published on GAC website at www.gacliberia.com. Most civil society groups and media institutions all have got copies of these completed HIPC audits.                              

Today, HIPC is being reached because of the innovation of the GAC to create a Risk Index to assist the Government of Liberia and the international partners to make an informed decision on the HIPC institutions. In other countries, HIPC audits include all ministries and agencies. In Liberia, we are doing only 5 ministries because that is what the AG told the international community was possible, because it was cost prohibitive and impossible for an impoverished country like Liberia to do HIPC audits of all ministries and agencies for two years in a row.