Tanzania hailed for job done well at UN auditor' board

TANZANIA has been hailed for a job done well during its six year period as a member of the United Nations Board of Auditors (UNBoA).

UNBoA Chairman and Controller and India's Comptroller and Auditor General, Rajiv Mehrishi commended Tanzania's Controller and Auditor General, Prof Mussa Assad for high degree of professionalism while executing his duties as a member of the UN body of auditors.

“I would like to congratulate Tanzania for their immense contribution throughout the six years where they executed this work in the highest degree of professionalism.

We will continue to recognise and respect their contribution, said the Chairman at UNBoA 72 meeting in New York last week.

Prof Assad completed his six-year tenure at the UNBoA which began with his predecessor, Ludovick Utoh in 2012 and handed over the mantle to Chile's Controller and Auditor General, Jorge Soto. Apart from handing over the mantle to Chilean CAG, Prof Assad had attended the board meeting and submitted 13 audit reports of United Nations organisations.

He said the meeting was the last for Tanzania to attend as a UNBoA member but it would continue with an observer member status in the UNBoA external auditors for two years. Tanzania was not only a UNBoA member but also had the opportunity to lead the board for two years.

"I have been UNBoA chairman for two consecutive years from 1st January, 2015 up to 31st December 2016 where I was responsible to present UNBoA reports to UN Security Council through UN Secretary General," he said.

"I used the opportunity to advise the UN Secretary General on the better way to improve control system in financial management and changing the time to submit financial statements of the United Nations organisations which issue their financial statements in April."

Tanzania is the first East African country and the third in Africa after Ghana and South Africa to be appointed a UNBoA member since its establishment in 1964.

Tanzania was appointed UNBoA member in 2012 after South Africa completed its term. The Board consists of three heads of the Supreme Audit Institutions from the Member States of the United Nations (UN).

They are mandated to provide independent, professional and quality audit services to the healthy and sound development of the entire UN system.