What is today’s Iraq like? What is going on in the country which only recently appeared in almost each news service? How is the Iraqi Supreme Audit Institution functioning after stormy developments of past years? Abdul Basit Turki Saeed, PhD, the Head of the Board of Supreme Audit in Iraq, who visited Warsaw at the invitation of the President of NIK Jacek Jezierski, is answering these questions.
Board of Supreme Audit in Iraq
The fundamental problem of the Iraqi administration are staff deficits. ”In many institutions there are too few officials. The number of auditors is also too small. Their absence translates into a deficit of experience in the area of the public sector audit” - says Mr. Saeed. A problem is also pervasive corruption and legal mess. ”Imagine that after 2003 there were no specific regulations in Iraq determining the principles of awarding public procurements” - explains the Head of Iraqi SAI.
In these circumstances, the Supreme Audit Institution in Iraq focuses on the reconstruction of the rule of law and fight against corruption. Sometimes it requires steadfast determination, e.g. when one of the Ministries, despite clear instructions of auditors, did not want to change their practices. Referring the case to the prosecution bodies was of no help. ”Despite that we didn’t let go” - explains Mr. Saeed - ”I ordered to send our audit report to the Council of Ministers and to the Parliament. Ultimately, the persons responsible for irregularities had to account for them.”
