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Audit Service Sierra Leone (ASSL) reflected on the key findings of the 2023 Auditor General’s Report during a meeting held yesterday, Wednesday, January 8, 2024, at its Head Office Conference Room, 12th Floor, Freetown City Council Building, Freetown.
The Audit Report is a document that serves as both a mirror and a guide for improving governance, accountability, and public service delivery in Sierra Leone.
Speaking at the press update on the 2023 Auditor General’s Report, Acting Deputy Auditor General, Morie Lansana, Audit Report paints a picture of a financial system striving for transparency but is still burdened by notable challenges.
“While the government’s financial statements received an unqualified audit opinion, there remain critical areas of concern. Issues such as unaccounted revenue, unsupported expenditures, and missing documentation continue to cast shadows over our financial landscape.
“Beyond numbers and financial records, the report delves into the realities of payroll management across public institutions. It reveals persistent challenges, including absentees’ staff and irregularities in salary payments, pointing to systemic weaknesses that demand immediate reform,” he averred.
He said that this year’s report goes further focusing on how these financial practices impacting on ordinary citizens. It speaks of empty hospital wards without critical supplies, schools waiting for promised educational materials, and projects stalled by poor contract management.
The Deputy Auditor General noted that the figures in the Audit Report are not abstract figures; they represent real lives, real struggles, and missed Opportunities for progress.
ASSL Acting Deputy Auditor General in charge of Public Enterprises Mohamed JuIdeh Barrie said that ASSL is not merely pointing out flaws but it is offering way forward.
He said that recommendations have been laid out clearly and actionable steps that, if followed, will strengthen public institutions, improve financial discipline and restore trust in government processes.
“Accountability is not the sole responsibility of auditors or government officials. The media too plays an essential role serving as the bridge between institutions and the public. The media should voice out that these findings are not buried in reports but translated into meaningful action.
“This briefing is not just an exercise in disclosure; it is a call to action. A call for every stakeholder including ministries, agencies, councils and citizens to take ownership of these findings and work towards solutions. It is a reminder that every unfulfilled promised, every mismanaged funds, has a human face and social cost,” he concluded.
