The Office of the Auditor General Zambia hosted the second meeting of the INTOSAI Working Group on Audit of Extractive Industries (WGEI) learning task force in Lusaka, Zambia from 9th to 12th April, 2018. The purpose of the meeting was to review and update the draft Extractive Industries Training Curriculum.
The meeting was officially opened by the Permanent Secretary of the Zambian Ministry of Mines Mr. Paul Chanda. In his remarks he said that the Office of the Auditor General remains key in helping government to manage natural resources in the best interest of the public.
Mr. Chanda has also said that the Office of the Auditor General is keen on ensuring that there is accountability regarding the taxes the country was reaping from the mining sector. He said that the significance of the Extractive Industries (EI) has been noticed by several international networks and foras, INTOSAI included.
Mr. Chanda observed that the EI were known for generating high economic rent which is the difference between the value and the cost production and there is need to audit it effectively.
He noted that the Task Force meeting was in line with the country’s Seventh National Development Plan (SNDP) first pillar development outcome number 2 where Zambia was focusing on having a diversified and export-oriented economy with value added to mineral products.
And speaking earlier, Acting Auditor General Mr. Ron Mwambwa said that the meeting would help build capacity in the participating countries to handle the task of auditing the Extractive Industries as it was a very complex matter.
Mr. Mwambwa further intimated that member countries of WGEI and the INTOSAI community at large stand to benefit once the capacity is built as reports that will be coming out will be of great value to the citizenry.
Meanwhile, Assistant Director of Audit in the Office of the Auditor General Uganda Mr. Anthony Kimuli in a speech read on behalf of the Auditor General of Uganda Mr. John Muwanga said most countries lack capacity and knowledge to audit the Extractive Industries effectively and efficiently.
Mr. Muwanga said it was against this background that a working group on extractive industries was set up within the auspices of INTOSAI to help member countries to provide assurance to their citizens that governance structures that oversee the utilisation of public resources including oil, gas and minerals were sound and transparent and attain the best value.
He further explained that if SAIs carry out effective extractive industry audits, their governments would manage these huge revenue generating resources in the best interest of their citizens thus lead to the achievement of the sustainable development goals (SDGs).
He hoped that the curriculum which was being developed would be used by INTOSAI to impart better knowledge and skills in their auditors to audit the EI for the betterment of the welfare of their citizens in their countries.
The meeting was attended by eight countries namely India, Iraq, Vietnam, Ghana, Zimbabwe, Norway, Uganda, Zambia and a representative from the AFROSAI-E.
By Ellen Muleya Chikale – Head Public Relations SAI Zambia