The United States Agency for International Development (USAID)’s Short-Term Assistance to Improve Public Financial Management Reform Project (STAIR) conducted a three-day training program on Financial Auditing to improve the quality of accounting, investigations, and financial auditing capabilities of the Auditor General’s Department of Sri Lanka (ADGSL) staff.
The training reinforced to staff that adherence to international auditing standards are essential to carry out fair assessments and help the ADGSL succeed in its role of enforcing the transparent application of rules and laws, particularly as they relate to the management of public spending.
Prior to the training, STAIR and ADGSL reviewed existing manuals and guidebooks on financial audit to produce an updated Financial Audit Manual consistent with Sri Lankan guidelines and international best practices.
The new user-friendly manual was used in the training which was attended by 40 participants including nine Audit Superintendents and thirty Audit Examiners. Nearly 50 percent of the participants were women.
The training was delivered by Robert Viernum, the International Financial Audit Expert of STAIR, at the AGDSL Training Centre in Ratnapura recently.
In addition to the Financial Audit Manual, STAIR and the ADGSL have collaborated to update several guiding manuals necessary for effective public financial management, including ADGSL’s Procurement Audit Manual, Forensic Audit Manual, IT Systems Audit Manual, and the AGDSL’s new website. STAIR coordinates closely with AGDSL to ensure that the materials developed are appropriate to the needs of their auditors.
STAIR works with agencies in the Government of Sri Lanka (GSL) to meet their democratic and economic reform priorities. STAIR aims to reduce corruption in public procurement by educating the public officials on sound anti-corruption strategies.
Project activities are designed to increase the transparency and accountability of the GSL, improve its effectiveness and efficiency in the delivery of public services, bolster its capability to communicate with the public, strengthen its ability to incorporate public participation in policy making, and reduce opportunities for, and incidences of, corruption in public sector institutions.
The American people, through USAID, have provided development and humanitarian assistance in developing countries worldwide for over 50 years. Since 1956, the U.S. Government has invested over $2 billion to benefit all the people of Sri Lanka.
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