ZANZIBAR: ZANZIBAR President Hussein Mwinyi yes- terday marked the culmination of the ‘Controller and Auditor General (CAG) Public Awareness Week,’ calling for concerted efforts to promote effective management of public resources in the country.
President Mwinyi called on the public to embrace patriotism, commitment and ensure they participate fully in the country’s devel- opment.
“It is a shared duty involving interna- tional organisations, civil society, the pri- vate sector, religious leaders, the media and the public at large to promote accountability, transparency and discipline in managing public resources,” he said.
He said strengthening good governance in the management and proper use of public resources is not solely the responsibility of the govern- ment or the CAG office.
“Together, all stakehold- ers play a crucial role in ensuring proper financial expen- diture,” he said.
Dr Mwinyi expressed his satisfaction with this year’s CAG Audit Week theme “Enhancing public resource auditing improves efficiency and yields results for the country,” which underscores the vital importance of strengthening public resource audits to achieve the country’s development goals.
He explained that the CAG office has significantly supported the government in implementing its development goals by promoting ac- countability in public offices.
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“The remarkable progress we are witnessing today is largely due to robust oversight and growing account- ability in public resource management,” he said.
Dr Mwinyi added that au- diting public resources has facilitated major achievements in implementing government goals and plans, ultimately benefitting the people of Zan-zibar.
He said the benefits include increased government revenue, reducing revenue loss, identification of new revenue sources and ensuring the effective management of public resources.
He said the CAG’s annual reports pro- vide valuable insights into government strategies and proper execution of various development projects.
Moreover, Dr Mwinyi said the effectiveness of au- diting processes contributes significantly to Zanzibar’s economic growth, which, as of 2023, has reached an av- erage growth rate of 7.4 per cent, compared to 1.3 per cent in 2020.
The President also observed that public resource audits have enhanced the delivery of vital social services such as education, healthcare, clean water, electricity and infrastructure development, including roads, ports, airports and marketplaces.
Dr Mwinyi insisted that strengthening good governance is essential for the country’s development, calling on everyone to enhance their commitment, patriotism and integrity in serving the nation.
“The government, for its part, will continue to create an enabling environment for the CAG office to fulfil its duties in accordance with national and international laws, regulations and standards while adapting to global auditing trends,” he said.
Minister of State in the President’s Office (Constitution, Legal Affairs, Public Service and Good Gover- nance) Mr Haroun Ali Suleiman commended the CAG staff for their outstanding work in ensuring that public resources are used as intended and bring significant benefits to the people of Zanzibar.
