PRESS RELEASE

Dated: 13 ‐ 7 ‐ 2015

COMPTROLLER AND AUDITOR GENERAL OF INDIA
10, B.S.Z. MARG, NEW DELHI

INDIA BAGS LARGEST PORTFOLIO OF UN AUDIT ASSIGNMENTS

NATIONAL AUDIT CANNOT BE COMPROMISED FOR INTERNATIONAL AUDITS SAYS CAG

Among all the Supreme Audit Institutions in the world, India has the largest portfolio of audit assignments and this has been possible due to the reputation that the CAG Institution of India has built over decades as a highly professional organization. This was stated by Comptroller and Auditor General of India, Shri Shashi Kant Sharma while inaugurating the UN Audit Training Programme at Regional Training Institute (RTI) in Chennai today. Shri Sharma expressed happiness that our first report, after joining the UN Board of Auditors, on UN Peace Keeping Organizations (UNPKO) has been highly appreciated by the Advisory Committee on Administrative and Budgetary Questions (ACABQ) of the UN.

Shri Sharma however emphasized that our primary mandate is to carry out audits in our country and report our audit findings to the Parliament/State Legislatures and clearly stated that “I want you to plan your national work in such a way that important tasks are completed before you proceed on international audit engagements. National audit cannot be  compromised  at the expense of international audits”

The CAG of India said that presently, we are the external auditors of United Nations, World Food Programme (WFP), International Organization for Migration (IOM), World Intellectual Property  Organization  (WIPO), International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO). We should all take pride that our department has been entrusted with external audit responsibilities by such diverse international organizations, he added.

Stating that there is a significant difference between the audit environment in India and in the international institutions the CAG advised  to  use appropriate language while drafting the management letters. He further advised the Audit fraternity to maintain professional scepticism and strike a fine balance; be open ‐ minded and carefully  consider the views of the management. However he added that maintaining amicable relationship with the audited entity does not mean that you should allow yourself to be bullied by the audited entity or do nothing when audited entity is non cooperative. Stating that there have been instances of management being slow or unresponsive to audit, Shri Sharma said that such instances if necessary should be brought to the notice of the top management of the audited entity and to the Director of External Audit in a professional manner.

About 130 officers of the Indian Audit and Accounts Department are to be trained during this month in three phases before taking up Audit of the United Nations and its organizations. A batch of 43 officers, from the level Assistant Audit Officer (AAO) to Principal Accountant General (PAG), is attending the five day training programme in Chennai beginning today. Two other batches will be trained at Jaipur from July 20 ‐ 24 and from July 27 ‐ 31, 2015.