His Excellency Sheikh Ahmed bin Mohamed Al Khalifa, Auditor General of the National Audit Office (NAO), presented to His Excellency the Chairman of the Shura Council the NAO’s seventeenth annual report for the professional year 2019-2020.
During the meeting with H.E. Ali bin Saleh Al-Saleh, H.E. Sheikh Ahmed expressed his appreciation for the important role of the Shura Council in the comprehensive development process led by His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa.
H.E. Sheikh Ahmed said, "A positive methodology was used when preparing the report and the rules, standards and technical guidelines issued by the relevant international organizations were taken into consideration in accordance with the laws and regulations of the Kingdom of Bahrain. The NAO’s employees were able to complete the report on time and at a consistent level of professionalism despite the exceptional circumstances caused by the Corona pandemic."
The report covers (96) completed audit assignments, and includes (129) audit reports on these assignments in addition to (46) follow-up reports which help to ensure that the entities subject to the NAO’s audit implement the recommendations from previous reports and address the areas of improvement indicated by the NAO’s observations and recommendations.
H.E. Sheikh Ahmed affirmed that the NAO followed a positive approach in accomplishing its tasks based on partnership and cooperation with the entities subject to its audit in accordance with best practices in the field of financial, performance and compliance audit. He continued that in addition, new procedures were introduced such as the necessity to develop clear and specific plans to implement recommendations, and that follow-up work now covers two years instead of one year as before.
He indicated that this positive approach was clearly reflected in the positive development in the speed of implementation of recommendations by the entities subject to the NAO’s audit. The result of the NAO’s follow-up work showed that the audited entities implemented or started to implement about 80% of the total recommendations issued in the NAO’s reports, an increase of 14% compared to the professional year 2018/2019.
His Excellency extended his thanks and gratitude to His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, for his continuous support and gracious patronage of the NAO, and to His Royal Highness Prince Khalifa bin Salman Al Khalifa, Prime Minister, and His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, Crown Prince, Deputy Supreme Commander, First Deputy Prime Minister, for their directives to government agencies to implement the recommendations in the NAO’s reports, and to follow up on the measures taken in this regard.
