RO 76.5 million recovered by audit in 2021

Results of inspections conducted by the State’s Audit Institution (SAI) for the year 2021 indicate the existence of many positive effects in the action undertaken to achieve direct added value from the procedures of collection and recovery of sums in favour of the State Budget. The overall outcome was the realisation of financial surplus of about RO 76.5 million.

In its operations aimed at enhancing integrity, the SAI dealt with 101 cases against which verdicts were issued. These included cases of forgery of official documents and a party’s use of a forged document, despite being aware of the fraud.

Such cases also included entering data into a government information system in an illegal way, asking for a bribe, squandering public money, a state employee’s misuse of official position, and breach of duties.

The Inspection Brief also covered other types of audit missions, scrutiny of direct added value and comments from units of the State’s Administrative Apparatus (government departments), public authorities and establishments, commercial firms and oil and gas companies.

The SAI has been keen on according professional attention when handling complaints and reports filed by social segments via existing channels of communication associated with financial and administrative offences, negligence, failure to perform job duties and manipulation of public funds. As many as 505 complaints and reports were filed in 2021.

SAI has further devoted its considerable attention to public information and awareness aspects aimed to embody community partnership, promote values of integrity, establish a culture of public fund protection and preserve the state’s gains by implementing many programmes, activities and events during 2021 including TV and radio programmes and seminars in addition to digital and printed publications.

SAI affirms that its success in the implementation of its annual audit plan for 2021 and its consequent favourable results have been achieved in light of the existing cooperation and partnership with other entities and the efforts of the specialists in the implementation of SAI’S recommendations.

SAI also emphasised the importance of promoting partnership and coordination with the entities subject to audit in the future in a manner that would protect public funds as well as the state’s gains.