PRESS RELEASE BY THE NATIONAL AUDIT OFFICE Report by the Auditor General on the Public Accounts 2023

Auditor General Charles Deguara presented to Speaker of the House of Representatives Anġlu Farruġia the Annual Audit Report on the Public Accounts for 2023. It comprises 32 audit reports on the operations of several public sector entities. This publication also includes an analysis of the Financial Report 2023, as well as an overview of the Statements of Arrears of Revenue for the same year, as submitted to Treasury by the respective ministries, departments, and entities.

The National Audit Office has judiciously analysed the level of compliance of various expenditure items with prevailing rules and regulations. The Report gives over 260 relevant recommendations which are meant to address the shortcomings identified during these reviews and thus promote good governance and best practice in Government's operations.

Some of the key findings identified were the following:

• Bypassing of procurement regulations, including services rendered under expired contracts and the absence of the necessary approvals.
  

• Limited internal controls and Standard Operating Procedures.
  

• Lack of substantiating documentation supporting the payment of allowances and overtime.
  

• Inadequate project management leading to delays and overspending.
  

This Report may be accessed through the NAO website: www.nao.gov.mt as well as on the NAO Facebook page www.facebook.com/NAOMalta.