Japan’s Board of Audit Submits Annual Audit Report for Fiscal Year 2019

Mr. Morita Yuji, President of the Board of Audit of Japan (the Board), submitted the annual Audit Report Fiscal Year 2019 to Prime Minister Suga Yoshihide on November 10, 2020.

The report, containing results on audits the Board conducted in 2019-2020, includes final accounts of annual expenditures and revenues of State and government-affiliated institutions for Fiscal Year 2019. The Cabinet then provided the report to the Diet (Japan’s bicameral legislature) along with the final accounts of State expenditures and revenues. The report contains 248 audit cases resulting in nearly $270 million USD in “improper amounts.”*

The Board has been continuously conducting agile, flexible audits and responding to issues in a timely and appropriate manner. In the Fiscal Year 2019 report, the Board noted issues on several matters, including:

• Securing the safety and well-being of citizens;
• Social security;
• Effect of project operations;
• Proper and fair systems and project operations;
• Proper budget execution and appropriate public accounts management;
• Environment and energy; and
• Information technology.

At any time throughout the year (even prior to the annual audit report), the Board may report to the Diet and the Cabinet on matters in which the Board has (1) presented its opinions, (2) demanded measures be taken, or (3) found it particularly necessary to report. In 2019-2020 there were three cases that fell into these categories. Likewise, the Board may conduct an audit of specific matters requested by the Diet under the Diet Act and report the results. The Board reported two such cases to the Diet in 2019-2020.

*For the definition of “improper amounts,” visit https://www.jbaudit.go.jp/english/. Contact the Board via email: liaison@jbaudit.go.jp or web: https://www.jbaudit.go.jp/english/ for additional information.

Photo: President of the Board of Audit, Mr. Morita Yuji (left), and Prime Minister of Japan, Mr. Suga Yoshihide. Source: Official Website of the Prime Minister of Japan and His Cabinet