The African Union (AU) Office of Internal Audit (OIA) has urged the Pan-African Parliament (PAP) Permanent Committee on Audit and Public Accounts (CAPA) to conduct periodic self-assessments to help the committee identify opportunities for improving its oversight activities.
The OIA is the AU’s internal oversight body for ensuring the AU rules and procedures in place are effective. Its role is to undertake internal audits, investigations and advisory services, including inspections, as well as evaluations of the adequacy and effectiveness of internal control systems and operational activities. It is also mandated to provide oversight coverage of all AU activities. This includes preparing and implementing auditing programmes and liaising with external auditors.
“For CAPA to operate effectively you must build the capacity of audit committee members through training, retreats or courses offered by relevant organizations, as well as exchange programs to other Audit Committees,” said OIA Director, Regina Maambo Muzamai while making a presentation to CAPA at the ongoing sittings of the Permanent Committees of the sixth Parliament of the PAP.
The sittings are being held in Midrand, South Africa, under the African Union Theme of the Year for 2023, “The Year of AFCFTA: Accelerating the Implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area”.
“As Parliamentarians, you should have the ability to understand accounting policies, guidelines, and estimates. You should have the ability to understand the organization’s business and any unique features related to its operations that may impact the accounting and financial reporting, internal control and risk management policies. It is your duty as members to have the ability to understand the entity’s risk environment and appetite.”
Muzamai also mentioned that CAPA as an Audit committee should oversee the implementation of audit recommendations of all oversight operations.
“We expect CAPA to oversee the implementation of resolutions of PAP Plenary and Executive Council decisions on internal controls and audit matters. CAPA should also oversee and review the design, implementation and effective functioning of the risk management process and systems within PAP.
“CAPA must as well review and approve the internal audit annual plan and also review the budget proposal of the Internal Audit taking into account its work plan before it is consolidated in the PAP Budget, Review organization’s system of internal control and advise the Plenary accordingly in line with AU Rules and Regulations,” she added urging CAPA to be the voice of PAP on internal control and operations issues.
Muzamai also underlined that CAPA members should have the ability to understand accounting policies, guidelines, estimates and have the ability to understand the organisation’s business and any unique features related to its operations that may impact the accounting and financial reporting, internal control and risk management policies.”
Meanwhile, CAPA Chairperson, Hon. Miles Sampa applauded the presentation done by Muzamai while calling for more collaboration between OIA and PAP.
“We embrace your presentation and we are looking at partnering and working together as we move forward. It is vital that we collaborate on various projects to avoid duplicating projects that we are doing while we have the same goal,” he said.
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