The Ministry of Cities, Local Government and Public Works has begun training workers to conduct internal audits of local councils.
Speaking at a press conference, Minister Adam Shareef Umar said the decision to strengthen internal auditing is part of its efforts to make island, atoll and city councils compliant with the Public Finance Act and regulations. The minister said the government has decided to strengthen the internal auditing of councils.
Additionally, Minister Shareef said that some auditors have been trained so far but that the new programme aims to establish a group or unit of auditors in each region. The audit unit will conduct audits of the councils in their designated region.
Currently, audits of local councils are conducted by the Auditor General's Office. Minister Shareef highlighted the challenges faced by the Audit office in preparing an audit report for each council as there are more than 200 councils in the Maldives.
Furthermore, Minister Shareef highlighted the importance of financially empowering the local councils through decentralization. He said that he has held discussions with the economic ministry to allow councils to establish companies and earn revenue.