Liberia: GAC Complete 89 Audits In 2024 as Auditor General Unveils Ambitious 2025 Audit Agenda

Monrovia – Auditor General P. Garswa Jackson Jr. has outlined an ambitious audit plan for 2025, aiming to complete 90 audits, 70 of which will be published. Speaking at a General Auditing Commission (GAC) staff retreat on January 10, 2025, in Thinkers Village, Paynesville, the Auditor General praised the GAC’s extraordinary performance in 2024 and set high expectations for the coming year.

In his address, AG Jackson described 2024 as “unprecedented,” with the GAC completing 89 audits, including two using the Liberia Enhanced Audit Tool (L-SEAT), a customized web-based platform developed by AFROSAI-E to enhance audit performance. Of the 89 audits, 62 were published, marking a historic milestone for the GAC.

The Auditor General highlighted significant system audits conducted in 2024, including reviews of the Liberian Presidency, Ministry of State, Judiciary, Liberian Senate, and Executive Protective Service. The GAC also conducted its first-ever compliance audit of the Central Bank of Liberia. Another notable accomplishment was the publication of Liberia’s first Follow-up Report on the Implementation of Audit Recommendations, which garnered international recognition, particularly from the United States.

Under AG Jackson’s leadership over the past three years, the GAC has completed 258 audits, with 224 published—a record-breaking achievement. He assured staff of the GAC’s commitment to regularizing audits of government entities and state-owned enterprises, with a system audit of the House of Representatives included in the 2025 agenda.

In his presentation, AG Jackson revealed that the World Bank rated the GAC’s independence at 8/10, ranking it third in Africa, behind South Africa and Seychelles, and first in West Africa. He pledged to strive for full financial autonomy in line with the GAC’s 2014 Act, targeting a perfect 10/10 rating.

The retreat also highlighted the GAC’s partnerships with international audit institutions. AG Jackson noted the signing of two Memorandums of Understanding (MOUs) in 2024: one with the Swedish National Audit Office (SNAO) and another with the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO). These agreements will provide capacity-building initiatives, including training programs and secondments, such as participation in the prestigious International Auditor Fellowship Program.

“We extend our gratitude to Comptroller General of the United States, Mr. Gene L. Dodaro, and the U.S. State Department for their invaluable support in facilitating this collaboration,” AG Jackson said.

While in the U.S., AG Jackson and his team held meetings with key organizations, including the Millennium Challenge Corporation, the Global Anti-Corruption Office of the U.S. Department of State, and the U.S. Department of Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC).

Despite these achievements, AG Jackson acknowledged challenges, including delays in funding and the submission of information by auditees. He commended GAC staff for their dedication, emphasizing that their hard work was instrumental in achieving the successes of 2024.

The Auditor General urged staff to redouble their efforts to ensure even greater accomplishments in 2025, reaffirming the GAC’s commitment to enhancing transparency, accountability, and good governance in Liberia.