This is another call for nations and states to establish and empower an independent office of Budgets and Audits, following the call for an independently elected public prosecutor. This body must be established under the constitution to remove, as much as possible, politics from the financial cost of both recurrent and capital expenditure. Many international agencies have issued such calls as a precursor and prerequisite to giving aid or approving loans. Some Governments have commonly sidestepped the issue by pointing to an Auditor General type of office, which falls under and is funded by the executive and therefore cannot be judged to be independent. Such an office continuously withholds reports for numerous years under claims of lack of qualified personnel and adequate funding.The proposed office will be responsible for ‘Budgeting’ all recurrent cost; inclusive of executive and public servant salaries, premises rental and maintenance and consumables used in the performance of duties. This office is also charged with the forecasting of any capital expenditure, planned and submitted by the executive, such as, the building of new roads, water and electricity infrastructure, maintenance of such infrastructure and the non-recurrent operational cost connected to that particular infrastructure project. It must be noted that this proposed office will be empowered to go into any organization that has responsibility for or information on any aspect relating to its function.
The proposed office will be responsible for ‘Auditing’ all recurrent cost and matching back to the budgeted figures for the same period under review. This office will also carry out forensic audits especially on capital expenditure infrastructure projects to confirm that exactly what or who was budgeted for was paid and received. Contracting in the necessary expertise and skill set to verify value for money and if not, referring the matter to law enforcement for further action.
With Budgets and Audits being made publicly available on a timely basis, the question now turns to the integrity of the top officeholders. Selecting the director and deputy director of Budgets and Audits to serve for a five year term, is the role of a commission that can and must investigate firstly the academic qualifications, working experience and other life practices of applicants. This method will bring forth the best technically qualified and suited candidates without exposing them to public scrutiny or political attacks.
But appointing persons to serve as commissioners, to oversee the selection of a director and deputy director of Budgets and Audits, is and should be a public event. Transparent and open for all interested individuals and groupings to review their track record, political allegiance and judge where their loyalties lay. For it is, in these commissioners’ decisions that taxpayers, aid and loan funds and the future of a society rest.
Rationale
T.A.J & Associates Company Limited uses this occasion to comment on topics that have been covered, both academically and by the mainstream media, to add its opinion and point out investment opportunity, not to invoke any social action.
