MONROVIA – The General Auditing Commission has concluded a two-week intensive Hands-On Training for more than One hundred auditors on improving the quality of audit reports through the use of related audit working papers. The exercise, which began on the fifth and ended on September 16th, 2022, was formally concluded with Auditor General P. Garswa Jackson making remarks.
Auditor General Jackson lauded the facilitators for impacting the needed knowledge and skills in the auditors, expressing the hope that they’ll put into practice what they attained over the period. “I’m impressed as a result of what I have gathered from the Training materials,” he noted, reminding the participants that the quality of their audits contributes to efforts by the government to secure funding; and at the same time, exposing corrupt activities in government. These, the Auditor General of Liberia emphasized, can only be possible if the GAC conducts quality Audits.
AG Jackson also indicated to the participants that the essence of the training was to build competent standards in accounting for public resources. He said to ensure these standards are achieved, the need for more training programs through Government budgetary support to the Commission was a necessity.
According to him, the GAC will ensure adequate budget support for training in the next fiscal budget, indicating that the quality of audit reports is being appreciated by partners.
He described audit documentation as a key benchmark in the audit process covering various phases to include Planning, Execution and Reporting – something, he said, needed to be improved.
The Auditor General also recommended the continuous use of the GAC Suggestion box by auditors to suggest ways to enhance training either through new topics or new training formats.
Meanwhile, the Lead Facilitator of the training and head of Quality Assurance at the GAC – Raphael Quaye, has indicated that the two-week training was conducted in consonance with the Commission’s Five- year Strategic Plan which calls for increase in Audit Coverage.
According to Mr. Quaye, the training also comes as a result of recommendations from Peer Reviews on the need to improve audit quality through the proper use of audit working papers.
Other facilitators include Anita Woiwor- Senior Audit Manager, Carrow Botoe, Evenyln Neasin, Abraham Cooper and Bomo Wheighar – all Audit Managers at the General Auditing Commission.