SFAAI submits annual report to HM the Sultan

Muscat: The Chairman of the State Financial and Administrative Audit Institution (SFAAI) had the honour of submitting SFAAI annual report to His Majesty Sultan Qaboos Bin Said on the results of its work for 2017, as well as its objectives and activating its terms of reference.

SFAAI sent a copy of the report to the Council of Ministers, Majlis A’Shura and the State Council.

The methodology for the preparation of this report took into account the rules, standards and technical guidelines for writing reports based on the standards of the relevant international organizations in terms of comprehensiveness, clarity, conciseness, accuracy, objectivity and timing.

The report included many phenomena and observations that resulted from the realization and extension of SFAAI auditing to some units of the state's administrative apparatus, as well as some companies, public bodies and institutions covered by SFAAI auditing.

SFAAI issued 239 supervisory reports which were communicated to the concerned authorities including the SFAAI observations and recommendations.

These observations were classified in three main parts of the report as each section contains several chapters.

The first part of the report deals with the state's administrative apparatus. The inspections carried out for some of these units resulted in many observations, as some of them were positive ones, and the others should be reviewed by the concerned parties to develop appropriate solutions.

The second part of the report referred to the public companies, bodies and institutions as SFFAI started its financial and administrative auditing over some of these companies, public institutions and pension funds covered by the audit in accordance with the International Accounting and Auditing Standards and within the relevant financial regulations and the guidelines issued by the International Organization of Supreme Audit Institutions (INTOSAI), which revealed some phenomena that can be developed and improved.

The third part of the report deals with the promotion of integrity and combating corruption. The Sultanate acceded to the United Nations Convention against Corruption by the Royal Decree No 64/2013 and ratified the Arab Convention against Corruption under the Royal Decree No 28/2014.

SFFAI was entrusted to follow up the implementation of the provisions of the United Nations Convention against Corruption, and assumed the duties of the Anti-Corruption Commission.

It is worth mentioning that SFFAI has recently completed its review of the Sultanate's implementation of the second session of the second chapter (preventive measures) and the fifth (asset recovery) of the Convention.

The draft national strategy for the promotion of integrity and combating corruption and the draft code of conduct for public officials have also been prepared.

The constructive cooperation between SFFAI and the various state institutions contributed to the consolidation of the concept of responsibility for preserving public money and safeguarding the homeland's earnings. --ONA