The Ministry of Justice and Constitutional Affairs on Wednesday received the National Audit Act (Amendment) Bill 2022 from the National Constitutional Amendment Committee (NCAC) after review.
The NCAC is the body mandated by the revitalized peace agreement to review the country’s fundamental laws for amendment to ensure reforms.
The Amendment Bill provides for the conformity of the Southern Sudan Audit Chamber Act, 2011 with constitutional, legal, and political guiding principles, objectives, and ideals in the peace agreement.
During the ceremony, the chairperson of the NCAC, Gichira Gibara, said they were handing over the Amendment Bill so that it could be incorporated into law.
“We have come here today (Wednesday) to hand over the National Audit Act (Amendment) to the justice minister of justice because when the NCAC prepares Bills to be incorporated into the laws, it is required by the agreement to hand over those Bills to the minister of Justice to hand them over to the cabinet and also to the national assembly,” Gibara told reporters.
He said the peace agreement stipulates the National Audit Act as one of the Acts to be amended.
“So that the Audit Chamber is given more independence to audit all government accounts to make sure that there is proper management of the government’s finances and ensure that the audit reports are taken to the national assembly so that it can play its oversight role,” he added.
Gibara said the NCAC is in the process of reviewing most of the essential laws that govern finance management including; the Public Finance Management Act, the Banking Act, and the Petroleum laws.
“But the most urgent now that we will be focusing on is the Elections Act so that the elections will be done when the parties are ready before the end of the transitional period,” he said.
Meanwhile, Justice Ruben Madol Arol, the minister of justice and constitutional affairs, said he was overjoyed by the speed of the NCAC in submitting the Bill just within one of resuming their mandate.
“We are very happy to receive from the NCAC the National Audit Act. It was only last week that the NCAC resumed its work and they have started to deliver,” he said. “That level of commitment and speed is very encouraging and I would want to say if we maintain that momentum, it should not be difficult for us to cover all the areas for legislation and reviews that are specifically mentioned to be done by the NCAC.”
Asked when the National Audit Act (Amendment) Bill 2022 will reach the cabinet Justice Madol, said it will depend on the technical work by his legislation directorate.
The Bill also provides for the establishment and governance of the National Audit Chamber, the appointment of the Auditor General, the Deputy Auditors General, Auditors, corporate staff, establishment of the National Audit Advisory Committee and the functions and powers of the chamber, procedures for auditing and reporting on accounts of the government ministries, institutions, agencies, departments and corporations that receive and spend public funds.
The Amendment Bill will now go to the cabinet for approval before being passed to the National Legislative Assembly for deliberation and subsequently passing into law after signature by the president.