State audits slammed

JAKARTA (JP): Financial audits of state institutions remain messy and inefficient because of poor coordination between local and central audit agencies, a Supreme Audit Agency official said yesterday.

"An institution is often audited several times consecutively by several audit agencies, while the subject of their audits are the same," the agency's secretary general, Bambang Trijadi, said in Denpasar, Bali.

He called on local audit agencies, including those at district and provincial levels, to improve their coordination.

When an institution has been audited, the results of the audit could be used by related parties, including other audit agencies, Bambang said.

To improve efficiency when auditing institutions, Bambang suggested the government develop national plans each year for the auditing of state institutions.

"With such plans, audits can be more efficient and without overlap," Bambang was quoted by Antara as saying.

He said a bill on auditing state institutions was badly needed because the auditing of state institutions is now based on Dutch- colonial rules. (rid)