The  Controller  and  Auditor-General  of  Samoa  Mr.  Fuimaono Papalii  Camillo  Afele  is hosting  the Pacific  regional  programme  on  public procurement.

It is  part  of an  international  capacity building  programme  developed  and  delivered  jointly  by  INTOSAI  Development  Initiative  (I.D.I.) and the Pacific Association of Supreme Audit Institutions (P.A.S.A.I.).   

Twenty-two auditors from Cook Islands, Fiji, Federated States of Micronesia, State of Pohnpei FSM, Papua New Guinea, Republic of Marshall Islands, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga and Tuvalu  are  participating in this  week-long  review  meeting  which  commenced  yesterday  and  will end on Tuesday 20, December 2016.    

The  keynote  speaker, Salā Fata  Pinati  (Minister  for  Audit  Office)  formally  opened  this regional meeting by highlighting the important role that Supreme Audit Institutions (SAIs) play in ensuring  accountable  and  transparent  government  procurement  practices.     

Mr Fuimaono Papalii C.G. Afele, Controller and Auditor General of Samoa  further commented, “This regional programme is the first being delivered in the global INTOSAI region and I am pleased to host it because the subject matter of public procurement is a significant matter which affects all areas of public service delivery which my office is mandated to do.”

The programme aims to use the cooperative audit guidance developed by INTOSAI’s Capacity Building Committee with the main objective to support SAIs in moving towards  International Standards  of  Supreme  Audit  Institutions  (ISSAIs)  in  the  conduct  of  compliance  audits.  

The programme which is part of the global ISSAI implementation initiative or 3i programme spans a  period  of  two  years  and  provides  blended  support  solutions  by  supporting  participants  in sustainably enhancing their professional and organisational capacity. 

The  Pacific  Association  of  Supreme  Audit  Institutions  (PASAI)  is  the  overarching  regional working group of Supreme Audit Institutions in the Pacific region.  We have 26 members that we work with to promote transparent and efficient use of public sector resources with the aim to make a difference to the lives of our citizens. PASAI  is  a  working  group  of  the International  Organisation  of  Supreme  Audit  Institutions (INTOSAI)  which  operates  as  an  umbrella  organisation  for  the external  government  audit community and has a worldwide global affiliation with SAIs around the world.  

PASAI  acknowledged  the  financial  support  of  the  Australian Government  Department  of Foreign  Affairs  and  Trade  (DFAT)  and  the  New  Zealand  Ministry  of  Foreign  Affairs  and  Trade  (MFAT)  and  the  collaborative  ongoing  joint  regional partnership  with   INTOSAI Development Initiative (IDI).