The visit has been held due to the first component of the project related to financial auditing. The Polish experts developed a manual on financial auditing for the Palestinian SAI and Polish experiences in this area were presented during the visit. Also NIK’s budget auditing methodology was discussed in detail. The Palestinian auditors got familiar with the legal framework of NIK activity, its competences, issues related to NIK management and the key audit results from the past years.
The role of supreme audit institutions as independent auditors of public spending and guardians of public finance was also addressed. The discussions concerned cooperation with the Parliament, communication with citizens, methods of handling claims and complaints as well as ad hoc audits and the training system for NIK auditors.
The visit ended in signing the bilateral cooperation agreement between NIK and the SAI of Palestine. Ambassador of Palestine Mr. Mahmoud Khalifa participated in the agreement signing ceremony.
Agreement signing. NIK President Marian Banaś and President of the State Audit and Administrative Control Bureau of Palestine Iyyad Tayyem
The twinning with Palestine takes place as part of the EU support provided to the twinning project: Strengthening the capacities of the State Audit and Administrative Control Bureau and supporting the Bureau to become an independent, efficient and effective external audit institution in line with INTOSAI standards.
As part of this EU-financed initiative, which is scheduled for 27 months, the Polish experts will help the Palestinian auditors implement a range of reforms and improvements. The project covers three thematic components:
- Improvement of SAACB’s capacity to undertake financial and compliance audits,
- Improvement of SAACB’s capacity to carry out tax and customs audit,
- Improvement of quality and efficiency of audits by means of big data auditing.
The idea behind twinning projects is the exchange of experiences and the institutional cooperation. They both should lead to joint development of results corresponding with the reality of the place where the supported institution operates. The Polish experts recommend methods of implementing international standards of state auditing to the Palestinian auditors so that they can be applied in the conditions of limited independence of Palestine.
The twinning in Palestine is one of the tools of the European Neighbourhood Policy.
In the past years, Poland has been among the EU Member States most involved in twinning projects. NIK has already undertaken similar projects in Georgia, Albania, Azerbaijan and Kosovo. Projects in Jordan and Palestine are pending.
The Palestinian SAI delegation have met with the Polish-Palestinian Parliamentary Group in the Sejm. The Palestinians have also paid a visit to the Polish Ombudsman.
Delegation of the President of the Palestinian SAI in the Polish Sejm
