RIYADH: The General Auditing Bureau (GAB) has described its role in monitoring government authorities as very weak and attributed this to a lack of staff, weak capabilities and a clear shortage of human resources. A number of officials, whose replies to questions from Shoura Council members were obtained by Okaz/Saudi Gazette, said the General Auditing Bureau should be independent and have clear powers. They called for granting the bureau financial and administrative independence at par with similar authorities in other countries and in line with the state's approach to comprehensive reform. Those changes would ensure that the GAB is not influenced by some executive authorities it monitors, the officials said. They stressed the importance of establishing a new system, which has been urged for 14 years because the GAB has not kept up with the latest developments in accountancy in the fields of public administration, finance management, monitoring and auditing. GAB representatives have stressed the need to discuss its annual auditing reports through a higher committee with no chairmen of executive authorities that are subject to its monitoring and auditing. Under that plan, reports would be transferred to an independent committee that would study them – and not be expected to support the reports' observations or approve recommendations for dealing with violations. GAB is concerned with post-spending monitoring of all state revenues and expenditures; monitoring and ensuring the best use of all moved and fixed assets; protecting these assets; and monitoring government bodies, public corporations and other administrations with independent budgets.
