INFORMATION FOR AUDITEES

What to Expect in an Audit

The Audit Office has the legal responsibility to audit the financial statements of all government entities. This is specified in the Audit Act of 2004. This means that your Ministry or Organization will be audited by the Audit Office.

Types of audit conducted

• Financial and compliance audits; which verify whether your organization has:

• proper accounting records;
• correctly prepared financial statements;
• internal management systems that ensure the proper assessment, collection and allocation of revenues and make sure that stores and other public property are securely controlled; and
• used its monies for the purposes intended.

• Performance or Value For Money Audits:

to determine whether your organization is applying its resources and carrying out its activities economically, efficiently and effectively and with due regard to ensuring effective internal management control.

• Forensic Audits

in which auditing procedures are used to investigate whether there has been any illegal, unauthorized or improper use of an organization's funds or assets and to determine who is responsible for it.

Responsibilities of your Organization

It is in everyone's interest for your audit to be conducted accurately and efficiently. To ensure this, the Audit Act specifies that your organization does the following:

• Have complete and accurate financial statements prepared;

• Complies with all applicable laws and regulations;

• Complies with any other contractual obligations it may have;

• Provides the auditor with easy access to documents relating to the audit;

• Provides any information or explanation of information related to the audit that may be requested; and

• Provides suitable and secure office space for the auditors to work in.

• Providing an objective assessment of the financial status of the organization;

• Pinpointing deviations in management standards and expectations;

• Identifying opportunities and developing solutions for improving the efficiency and effectiveness of operations;

• Recommending improvements to internal management systems and control; and

• Assisting in the identification of irregularities or fraud.

• Upon the conclusion of an audit, the Auditor General will present you with a draft report that will include findings and recommendations. You are required to submit a written response to this draft report within 30 days of its receipt.
• Every year, the Auditor General produces a report that contains the results of audits conducted on government entities.
• This report is presented to the Speaker of the National Assembly who then lays it before the National Assembly.
• The report is then examined by the Public Accounts Committee who then presents a report on their findings to the National Assembly.
• A Treasury Memorandum is then issued by the Government of Guyana, highlighting actions taken in relation to the Public Accounts Committee findings.

• enter into and remain on your organization's premises;

• carry out a search for documents and examine or make copies of them;

• and require a person to give evidence, either orally or in writing.

• Intentionally prevents the Auditor General or an authorized officer in the discharge of official duties.

• Does not comply with any lawful requirement of the Auditor General.

• Provides misleading information to the Auditor General or an officer authorized by him.

• Misrepresents his or her level of authority

If convicted of an offence, a person is liable on summary conviction to a fine not to exceed two hundred thousand Guyana dollars (G$200,000) and to imprisonment to a term not to exceed five (5) years.

Also, an entity or body of persons is liable, on summary conviction, to a fine not to exceed one million Guyana dollars (G$1,000,000).

 

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