The Audit Service Sierra Leone (ASSL) has improved in the 2023 Open Budget Survey Index score. According to the Open Budget Survey (OBS) Index 2023 report, the ASSL, oversight score climbed 78% in 2023 from 72% in 2021.

Speaking during the launch of the Sierra Leone Open Budget Survey Report 2023 on Wednesday, 29th May, 2024 at the Atlantic Hotel in Freetown, the Programme Coordinator of Budget Advocacy Network, Abubakarr Kamara stated that 70% more citizens participated in the budget formulation in 2021 than in 2023 adding that 33% selected issues for the ASSL.

The report also shows that Sierra Leone is ranked top in budget transparency and rose 10 points above the global average (45%), from 45% in 2021 to 55% in 2023. This progress means that Sierra Leone climbed 17 points from 64th in 2021 to 47th in 2023 out of 125 countries.

This achievement of the Audit Service is a testament to the tireless efforts of the institution and its commitment to promoting transparency and accountability in the country. The audit oversight score is a critical indicator of the effectiveness of an audit institution in carrying out its mandate, and Sierra Leone’s improvement is a reflection of the progress made in strengthening the country’s audit system.

According to the Acting Auditor General. Mr Abdul Aziz, this is a welcome news for the ASSL, as it will serve as a motivation for the institution to do more, adding that the reward for good work is more work.

He noted that a contributing factor to the ASSL’s improvement in the OBS is the involvement of the citizens in the pre-planning and follow-up stages of the audit process.

Mr Aziz stated that the ASSL has improved its audit approach by going beyond the independent examination of financial records and now focusing on service delivery which impacts the lives of the citizens.

 Copyright –Published in print in Expo Times Newspaper on Monday, June 7th , 2024 (ExpoTimes News – Expo Media Group (expomediasl.com)