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AUDITOR general Junias Kandjeke says he will dedicate his final term in office to strengthening local governments’ capacity for financial reporting.
Kandjeke will start his fifth term as auditor general next month, following recommendations by president Hage Geingob.
He also received support from members of parliament last week to serve his final term until 2028.
Kandjeke said he wanted to increase staff members’ proficiency with financial figures.
“Local authorities are using consultants to prepare their financial statements, and we don’t have many of them doing that. They have to queue up, waiting for other institutions to get their financials ready,” he said.
“The focus now, coming in April 2023, when the term is starting, is to work on the competency of those officials to make them professionals.”
“If I can at least have one chartered accountant at each ministry as a financial adviser, or at some local authorities, I will be happy.
“But what I want now are accountant technicians, because the technicians can do analysis, they can do proper reporting, they can do proper depreciations, and all other accounting work.”
He said he hoped to see the new audit bill for the Office of the Auditor General finalised, and subsequently passed by parliament.
There have been public calls for a new law to expand the mandate of the office to hold entities accountable for their audit opinions and recommendations.
“We want the bill to bring in some elements of empowerment for the auditor general to take certain actions against those people. Or even if it is not the auditor general, the bill to indicate what action should be taken,” he said.
Kandjeke cited Kenya, which established an implementation committee in its parliament, as one of the countries with mechanisms in place to ensure accountability in the public sector.
In other countries like Uganda and Ghana public officials can be arrested during public hearings for failing to account.
“We don’t want to arrest people and make them afraid, but they must just do their work and account,” he said.
NOT FAVOURED
Kandjeke was the subject of debate in parliament last week after prime minister Saara Kuugongelwa-Amadhila motivated his reappointment.
Some opposition lawmakers questioned whether he was being favourably treated.
Article 127 and Article 32 provide that the president appoints the auditor general on the recommendation of the Public Service Commission and with the approval of the National Assembly.
Kandjeke has been in office since he took over from his predecessor, Fanuel Tjingaete, in 2003.
He denied having been favorably chosen, saying the appointing authorities may have been influenced by his work – both at home and abroad.
“Favoured, that is a very difficult thing to think of. I will only answer by giving you examples, and you can check whether I am favoured because of that,” he said.
Kandjeke has led regional, continental, and international audit bodies, including the Southern African Development Community (SADC) Organisation for Supreme Audit Institutions and the African Organisation of English Speaking Supreme Audit Institutions.
He has also drafted the constitution of the African Organisation of Public Accounts Committee, and represented the SADC in the African Union board of external auditors.
“Now, whether I am favoured, who is that person who knows me at SADC, who knows me at the continental bodies, and all these other things? Maybe there is something I am contributing that they are seeing. And maybe that is why it is happening,” Kandjeke said.
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