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State Audit
Institution is the supreme audit institution of the
sultanate of Oman. The audit body in Oman has been established
for more than 34 years (the age of the new Omani renaissance)
and has evolved in several gradual forms from being a department
prior to the 1970s in the ministry of finance (the Directorate
general of finance then) auditing government expenditures, till
1999 where it became an independent government body headed by a
minister, according to royal decree No. 95/1999 issued by his
majesty the Sultan of Oman. The elevation of SAI in 1999
to be an independent government body was immense changes to the
government audit practice in Oman, with that the new state audit
law came to presence. |
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SAI’s
mandate:
SAI works by state audit law issued by royal decree No.
55/2000 which declared SAI as an autonomous legal entity
that enjoys a financial, administrative and operational
independence that carries out post audits of the state public
funds in addition to monitoring the performance of entities
falling under its jurisdiction.
SAI’s
objectives:
SAI’s objectives to protect the state public funds,
expose cases of financial irregularities, draw attention to
deficiencies in the financial and personnel laws and to evaluate
the performance of entities subject to its audit.
The
constitution of SAI:
SAI is headed by a President, in the rank of a Minister,
a Deputy President, both appointed by a royal decree, they are
supported by an Assistant Deputy President, Advisors, Directors
General and Directors as specified in royal decree No. 56 2000
issuing SAI’s organizational structure. SAI
currently consists of three main wings, audit, administration,
and support services.
SAI’s
audit jurisdiction:
The entities subject to the audit of State Audit Institution
are: All entities making the administrative apparatus of the
state, Public authorities and establishments, Pension funds and
private bodies which are subsidised by the government, Companies
owned by the government by at least 51% of the share capital or
to which the government has granted a concession for a public
utility or a natural resource.
SAI’s
responsibilities:
SAI’s main responsible for conducting financial and
regularity audits, performance audit and follow-up of the
implementation of the plan, and review of decisions issued in
connection with the financial contraventions.
SAI’s
audit reports:
The SAI's reports are issued, usually after every audit,
to the entity concerned, which is required to respond to the
SAI's findings within a period of two months. The results of
the SAI's work throughout the year are summarised in an
Annual Report, which is submitted by the President of the SAI
to His Majesty the Sultan. This report contains a summary of the
SAI's audit findings and action taken thereon by auditees,
observations on the State Annual Accounts, an evaluation of
performance of the audited entities and development projects,
observations on the adequacy of financial laws and regulations,
records and systems, as well as observations on financial
contraventions and the penalties imposed. The SAI's
reports are confidential and available only to the addressee.
SAI and
the international community:
SAI is a member of the International Organisation of
Supreme Audit Institutions (INTOSAI) and is also a
member of two of INTOSAI's regional working
groups; the Arab Organisation for Supreme Audit Institutions
(ARABOSAI) and the Asian Organisation for
Supreme Audit Institutions (ASOSAI).
In 1999, SAI was invited to join INTOSAI's
standing committee on Information technology audit, SAI
has also joined the INTOSAI committee on internal
control and the INTOSAI working group on the audit of
privatisation |
