The U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) through Comptroller General Gene Dodaro has extolled Auditor General P. Garswa Jackson for achieving operational independence, and working on plans for financial independence. CG Dodaro described GAC as a credible and independent Supreme Audit Institution in Western Africa.
The General Auditing Commission (SAI Liberia) Auditor General of Liberia, P. Garswa Jackson, shared his SAI’s independence story with the INTOSAI-Donor Cooperation by discussing advocacy with his government, support from donors and peers, and demonstrating the quality and impact of his organization’s work.
Comptroller General Gene Dorado of the US GAO provided opening remarks and introduced Auditor General Jackson.
AG Jackson’s SAI has achieved operational independence and is working on financial independence.
They now report to Parliament instead of the President, have implemented competitive hiring for the Auditor General and Deputy Auditor General for fixed terms, can independently recruit staff outside of the civil service, determine the scope and timing of their audit reports and issuance, and fully operationalize the follow-up on the implementation of their audit recommendations.
The General Auditing Commission of Liberia has become one of the most modern, credible, and independent SAIs in Western Africa according to GAO’s boss.
It can be recalled that the World Bank published its official assessment of Supreme Audit Institutions (SAI) indepedence status and the General Auditing Commission (GAC) of Liberia scored 8/10 or 80%., the highest ranking and most independent SAI in West Africa.
Due to the work of the General Auditing Commission (GAC), AG Jackson was invited by the World Bank to the launch of “Independence and Accountability Report”for SAI Ghana where he made special remarks on Liberia’s successful journey.
The Auditor General has also just returned from the INTOSAI Donor Cooperation Leadership Meeting in Romania where he was invited to share similar perspectives.
