As an international lender of last resort, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) has been the largest provider of emergency financing for COVID-19, making available an unprecedented $250 billion to over 85 member countries. These funds, which have largely been used as domestic budget support, have been critical in bolstering governments’ responses to the pandemic. However, the rapid dispersal of these vast sums has increased the risk of...
During a nationwide lockdown in August 2021, the New Zealand Office of the Auditor-General, the country’s Supreme Audit Institution (SAI), published its report on The Government’s Preparedness to Implement the Sustainable Development Goals. The SAI’s report presented the results of...
In 2020, the Office of the Comptroller General of the Republic of Costa Rica, the country's Supreme Audit Institution (SAI), designed a strategic audit approach to assess Bono Proteger, a government program that provides $100-200 USD cash payments, for up to three months, to...
Commission on Audit (COA) Chairperson Michael G. Aguinaldo shared the experiences of the Philippines’ Supreme Audit Institution (SAI) at the International Budget Partnership’s (IBP) online discussion, “Managing COVID Funds: A Global Scorecard of Accountability,” held on May 24, 2021. The discussion centered on...
On June 7, 2021, Mr. Hou Kai, Auditor General of the National Audit Office of China (CNAO), presented a report to the legislature during the 29th Session of the Standing Committee of the 13th National People's Congress (NPC). The report outlined the results of...
In July 2021, the National Audit Office of Lithuania published a report assessing how the government has mitigated the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on mental health, as well as the availability of mental health services. The report also included a survey of the European Union’s Supreme Audit Institutions (SAIs) to learn about other countries’ efforts and experiences in this area. The National Audit Office found that...
When the COVID-19 pandemic struck, the United Kingdom’s National Audit Office (UK NAO) was able to effectively carry on its work by quickly pivoting to remote auditing and using technology to build relationships within the agency and around the world. Indeed, many auditors continued to conduct audits and publish audit reports without ever meeting their teams or clients in person. Aspects of UK NAO’s operations were not the only things to change. The Supreme Audit Institution’s (SAI) portfolio of work also...
The State Audit Office of the Kingdom of Thailand (SAO) has been carefully monitoring the government’s response to the pandemic. This response has included establishing the Center for COVID-19 Situation Administration (CCSA), regulating medical supplies, developing tracking applications, and preparing vaccinations.
Under the leadership of Auditor General Prajuck Boonyoung, SAO Thailand has...
Amid a global pandemic that is forcing governments around the world to launch new spending measures, the International Budget Partnership’s (IBP) latest Open Budget Survey (OBS) shows why there is reason for concern: four out of five of the 117 governments assessed failed to reach the minimum threshold for adequate...
“The only constant is change.” This phrase is more relevant than ever for Supreme Audit Institutions (SAIs), as we face numerous challenges and forge new directions to address COVID-19 Pandemic implications. If there has ever been a moment where we should feel globalized, it is today.
Citizen demands on oversight are enormous, and SAIs...