PRESS RELEASE BY THE NATIONAL AUDIT OFFICE Report by the Auditor General on the Public Accounts 2024

Auditor General, Mr Charles Deguara, presented the Annual Audit Report on the Public Accounts for 2024 to Speaker of the House of Representatives Anġlu Farrugia. The Report features a number of findings following audits performed across Government and public entities. This publication also includes an analysis of the Financial Report 2024, 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 also judiciously analysed the level of compliance of various revenue and expenditure items with prevailing rules and regulations. The Report presents over 240 targeted recommendations, designed to address the shortcomings identified during these reviews and to support good governance and best practice in Government's operations.

Some of the key findings identified were the following:

• Weak internal controls and insufficient verification performed before payment was effected
  

• Bypassing of Public Procurement Regulations
  

• Absence of formal documentation hindering verification and audit trail
  

• Lack of Standard Operating Procedures
  
  

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