By Calvin Brooks

MONROVIA, July 15(LINA) – Liberia’s Auditor General, P. Garswa Jackson has disclosed that 184 audit reports for both government entities and donor funded projects have been submitted to the National Legislature through the joint Public Accounts, Expenditures and Audit Committee.

The General Auditing Commission (GAC) boss said some of the key reports include the country's first post-war comprehensive national payroll audit, domestic debt audit and the audits of the Consolidated Accounts from fiscal years 2019/2020 to Fiscal year 2022.

Jackson made the disclosure Monday at the official opening ceremony of public hearings into the Auditor General's report by the joint Public Accounts Expenditures and Audit Committee (PAC) of the 55^th Legislature held at the Capitol Building in Monrovia.

He stated in the coming weeks, the GAC will be issuing some inaugural and pioneering audit reports, including the Auditor General's first follow-up on the implementation of audit recommendations report.

"Several other audit reports for various government entities across multiple periods are also expected to be simultaneously issued, however, the timely conduct of public hearings on reports issued has not been regularized, limiting the number of public hearings conducted to only three during my tenure,” Jackson added.

He expressed gratitude to the new leadership of the PAC which is headed by Senator Amara Konneh and Representative Clarence Gahr who have infused renewed dynamism and enthusiasm with the commitment of regularizing public hearings on the Auditor General's reports.

According to him, with this new level of commitment, GAC humbly recommended that the Public Financial Management Regulation be subsequently amended to include public hearings.

He maintained that a recommendation report from the PAC to the President detailing the consequences for noncompliance and misappropriation will be completed and submitted within three months after the conduct of public hearings.

Jackson stressed that the President should perform the needed consultations and facilitate the implementation of the PAC's recommendations within three months of the receipt of the PAC's report.

"We are also proposing the continuous strengthening of the capacity of the PAC Secretariat to facilitate the effective management of public hearings, the inclusion of routine reviews and hearings into periodic budget performance reports and that audit reports selected for public hearings should be done comprehensively and free from sentiments or bias," the Auditor General explained.

He emphasized that the GAC will support the PAC during the conduct of these hearings and will continue to produce more quality audit reports to foster a greater level of transparency and accountability in the use of public funds, thereby improving the lives of the citizens.