OFFICE OF THE AUDITOR GENERAL

Enhancing Public Accountability and Making a Difference

Supreme Audit Institution of Uganda


LEGAL MANDATE OF THE AUDITOR GENERAL AND THE OFFICE OF THE AUDITOR GENERAL

The Office of the Auditor General (OAG) is the Supreme Audit Institution (SAI) of Uganda. The provisions of the Constitution of the Republic of Uganda (1995) as amended under Article 163, sets out the appointment, mandate and removal of the Auditor General. The Auditor General is appointed by the President with the approval of Parliament. There is a legal framework that safeguards the tenure and removal of the Auditor General. The Constitution mandates the Auditor General to audit and report on all public accounts of Uganda and to further conduct financial and Value for Money audits in respect of any project involving public funds. In executing his or her mandate, the Auditor General is guided by national laws and regulations, International Standards on Auditing and International Standards for Supreme Audit Institutions (ISSAIs). The Auditor General performs his mandate independently; not under the direction or control of any person or authority.

Below are some of the specific provisions of laws that provide for the mandate and the office of the Auditor General.:
THE CONSTITUTION OF THE REPUBLIC OF UGANDA, 1995 as amended
Article 163
Auditor General

(1) There shall be an Auditor General who shall be appointed by the President with the approval of Parliament and whose office shall be a public office.
(2) A person shall not be appointed Auditor-General unless that person-
a) is a qualified accountant of not less than fifteen years' standing; and
b) is a person of high moral character and proven integrity.
(3) The Auditor General shall:-
a) audit and report on the public accounts of Uganda and of all public offices including the courts, the central and local government administrations, universities and public institutions of like nature, and any public corporation or other bodies or organizations established by an Act of Parliament; and
b) conduct financial and value for money audits in respect of any project involving public funds.
(4) The Auditor General shall submit to Parliament annually a report of the accounts audited by him or her under clause (3) of this article for the financial year immediately preceding.
(5) Parliament shall, within six months after the submission of the report referred to in clause (4) of this article, debate and consider the report and take appropriate action.
(6) Subject to clause (7) of this article, in performing his or her functions, the Auditor-General shall not be under the direction or control of any person or authority.
(7) The President may, acting in accordance with the advice of the Cabinet, require the Auditor General to audit the accounts of anybody or organization referred to in clause (3) of this article.
(8) The salary and allowances payable to the Auditor General shall be charged on the Consolidated Fund.
(9) The accounts of the office of the Auditor General shall be audited and reported upon by an auditor appointed by parliament.
(10) The Auditor General may be removed from office by the President only for-inability to perform the functions of his or her office arising from infirmity of body or mind; misbehavior or misconduct; or incompetence. In addition, Article 154 (3) of the Constitution states that no monies shall be withdrawn from the Consolidated Fund unless the withdrawal has been approved by Auditor General in a manner prescribed by Parliament. The mandate conferred by the Constitution is further amplified by the National Audit Act, 2008 and other laws.

The National Audit Act gives effect to Articles 154 (3) and 163 of the Constitution by further providing for the tenure, removal and mandate of the Auditor general; and establishing the Office of the Auditor General. The Act establishes the office of the Auditor General as a body corporate and also provides for staff of the Office. The terms and conditions of OAG staff are further prescribed in the National Audit (Terms and Conditions of Staff) Regulations,2011.

The Act provides for the auditing of accounts of central Government, local Government councils, administrative units, public organizations, private organizations and bodies. The Act gives the Auditor General right of access to all documents and information relevant to the performance of his or her functions; and for other related matters in the exercise of his functions.

The Auditor General is required to report on all accounts examined and audited within a period of six months or such longer period as Parliament may by resolution determine after the financial year to which such accounts were examined and audited. The Act in its totality takes supremacy over all existing Acts relating to the Office of the Auditor General, or to the functions and powers of the Auditor General and any Act in contradiction with the National Audit Act is modified to conform to the provisions of the Act.

Section 86. Accounts
Every local government council and administrative unit shall keep proper books of account and other records in relation thereto and shall balance its accounts for that year and produce statements of final accounts within four months from the end of each financial year.
Section 87. Audit of accounts
(1)The accounts of every local government council and administrative unit shall be audited by the Auditor General or an auditor appointed by him or her.
(2)The Auditor General may carry out surprise audits, investigations or any other audit considered necessary.
(3)The Auditor General shall give the report of the audited accounts to—
(a)Parliament;
(b)the Minister responsible for finance;
(c)the Minister;
(d)the local government or administrative unit to which the audit relates;
(e)the local government public accounts committee;
(f)the Local Government Finance Commission;
(g)the Inspector General of Government; And
(h)the resident district commissioner.

Section 31 of the Public Finance Management Act, 2015
Grants of credit on the Consolidated Fund
(1)The Minister shall on the advice of the Accountant General, request the Auditor-General to issue a grant of credit on the Consolidated Fund.
(2)A grant of credit issued under subsection (1) shall be for the funds that are payable for—
(a) statutory expenditure, during a financial year;
And (b) services to be rendered during a financial year where the funds are—
(i) authorized by an Appropriation Act or Supplementary Appropriation Act; or
(ii) required for investment.
Section 32. Withdrawals from the Consolidated Fund
(1)Money contained in the Consolidated Fund shall not be withdrawn except upon the authority of a warrant issued by the Minister, to the Accountant-General.
(2)The Minister shall not issue a warrant under subsection (1) except where a grant of credit is issued by the Auditor-General under section 31.
(3)The Minister shall issue a warrant for expenditure that is—
(a)authorised for the financial year during which the withdrawal is to take place by an Appropriation Act or a Supplementary Appropriation Act;
(b)a statutory expenditure;
(c)for repaying money received in error by the Consolidated Fund;
Or
(d)for paying sums required for an advance, refund, rebate or drawback where the payment of the advance, refund, rebate or drawback is provided for in this or any other
Act.
(4)The Minister may suspend, withdraw, limit or place conditions on a warrant under this section where the Minister determines that it is necessary due to a financial exigency or that it is in public interest to do so.
Section 51. Annual accounts
(1)An Accounting Officer of a vote and an Accounting Officer of a local government, shall within two months after the end of each financial year, prepare and submit to the Auditor-General, and the Accountant-General, the accounts and information set out in paragraph 2 of Schedule 5 to this Act.
(2)The Accounting Officer of a public corporation shall, within two months after the end of each financial year, using the format prescribed by the Accountant-General, prepare and submit to the Accountant-General, a summary statement of financial performance of the public corporation and give a copy of the summary statement to the Secretary to the Treasury.
(3)The accounts submitted under this section shall—
(a)be prepared in accordance with generally accepted accounting practices and in accordance with instructions issued by the Accountant General;
(b)identify any significant departures from generally accepted accounting practice and state the reasons for the departures;
(c)state the basis of accounting used in the preparation of the accounts, identify any significant departures from that basis of accounting and the reasons for the departure; and
(d)state the action taken by the vote on the recommendations of Parliament on the report of the Auditor General.
(4)The Auditor General shall, in accordance with the National Audit Act, examine and audit the accounts submitted under this section.
Section 54. Accounting for classified expenditure
(1)The Accounting Officer of a vote to which section 24 applies, shall prepare the accounts of the vote in the format to be prescribed by the Accountant General.
(2)The Accounting Officer of a vote to which section 24 applies, shall submit the financial statements required under section 51 to the Minister, the Auditor
General, and the Accountant General.
(3)The Auditor General shall, in accordance with the National Audit Act, examine and audit the accounts submitted under this section.
Section 58. Withdrawals from the Petroleum Fund
Withdrawals from the Petroleum Fund shall only be made under authority granted by an Appropriation Act and a warrant of the Auditor General—
(a) to the Consolidated Fund, to support the annual budget;
And
(b)to the Petroleum Revenue Investment Reserve, for investments to be undertaken in accordance with section 63.
Section 62. The Petroleum Revenue Investment Reserve
(2)The withdrawal of money from the Petroleum Fund to the Petroleum Revenue Investment Reserve, in a financial year, shall be by warrant of the Auditor General.
Section 26. The Contingencies Fund
(15)The Accountant General shall, for every financial year, prepare and submit to the Auditor-General, the accounts of the Contingencies Fund.
(16)The Auditor General shall in accordance with the National Audit Act, make a report to the Parliament, on the accounts of the Contingencies Fund.