Sant objects to lack of report by NAO

Labour MP Alfred Sant said that Parliament should dedicate more time to discuss the performance of the Office of the Auditor General, which was subject to the House.

Speaking on the motion to approve the National Audit Office Estimates for 2012, Dr Sant said the Auditor General had still not tabled his report for 2010. The Constitution and relevant legislation required the NAO to present the annual audit report not later than 12 months after the end of the year. While it was still time to abide by the law, one should not play the offside game.

The Auditor General seemed to table the audit report after the Budget discussion was over. If this was the system adopted, it was not accountable and professionally serious. The public accounts report should be tabled during the current year.

The present system of auditing was focusing too much on the needs of the “old” civil service. One needed to widen auditing to meet modern exigencies.

While the NSO had adopted a precise calendar when to publish statistics, this system was not adopted by the Auditor General. There should be specific timeframes, such as specific dates.

If there were no resources, Parliament should provide them.

Dr Sant said he was not convinced that the way the NAO was administered was serious for present times. The reports of its activities and of its examination of any estimates prepared by the Auditor General should be discussed in a plenary session of the House.

The motion was unanimously approved.

The House also unanimously approved the third reading of the Restorative Justice Bill, the Commissioner for Revenue Bill and the Protection of Minors (Registration) Bill.