The Office of the Auditor General is looking to increase their collaboration with civil society organisations (CSOs) and the public.
Auditor-General Finau Seru Nagera said the OAG was also strengthening their citizen engagement at the grassroots level.
Ms Nagera said this initiative aimed to strengthen the involvement of communities in the audit process and improve governance transparency across Fiji.
“When we had our consultation on the Audit Act we had invited the CSOs through the director of the Fiji Council of Social Services (FCOSS) and she was happy to share it with her colleagues because we need more public and civil engagement,” she said.
“So, this is a work in progress.”
She also noted the organisations’ pivotal role in disseminating invitations for public participation and said it underscores the OAG’s commitment to inclusivity and broadening stakeholder involvement in governance matters.
“We are hoping that we can work with UNDP to have that workshop as quickly as possible, because they (workshop for stakeholders) can help contribute to performance audits.”
She said this partnership aims to leverage the expertise of international bodies in auditing practices, thereby bolstering audit effectiveness and accountability.
Addressing accessibility concerns, Ms Nagera emphasised the Auditor-General’s proactive measures to engage citizens through an online platform.
This platform allows individuals to propose audit topics directly related to community issues, encouraging public participation in shaping audit priorities and fostering accountability in governance.
“And we have that, it’s hard to use, probably because we have not been making aware of this.
“We have a platform on our website where you can just go to the website and suggest an audit topic.
“Suggest an audit topic on an issue that you’ve seen in your community, and we’ve been trying to advocate.”
Ms Nagera reiterated the Auditor-General’s commitment to transparency, stressing that audit processes are open to all Fijian citizens.
She encouraged active involvement from the public, highlighting the opportunity for citizens to contribute meaningfully to audit initiatives and promote good governance practices nationwide.
“As recently, one of the expectations of the supreme audit institution (SAI) is to good contribute to audits in Fiji.
“It’s available to the public, to everybody.
“If you’re citizens of Fiji, you can contribute to the audit process.”
