-Speaker Koon Pledges Cooperation as Review Aims to Strengthen Public Financial Management and Pave Way for Full Financial Audit
MONROVIA — The General Auditing Commission (GAC) has begun a landmark systems audit of the National Legislature—described as the first comprehensive review of its kind in post-war Liberia—in a move aimed at tightening public financial management and accountability.
Following an entry meeting with the GAC, the House of Representatives, through Speaker Richard Nagba Koon, pledged full cooperation with auditors. “We consider your presence here a milestone in strengthening public financial management and reinforcing accountability,” a House representative said, calling the engagement historic. “Honorable colleagues, we are grateful for your support and your commitment to transparency.”
The systems audit will assess processes and controls, identify gaps, and recommend reforms to improve how the Legislature manages and reports public funds. Lawmakers say the exercise is a precursor to a full financial audit.
To institutionalize reforms, the Legislature is setting up an Internal Audit Secretariat and deploying an automated financial management system. Both steps are intended to bolster compliance with the Public Financial Management (PFM) Law and the Public Procurement and Concessions Commission (PPCC) Law.
The Auditor General’s authority to determine the scope and timing of audits—without outside interference—is grounded in Section 2.1.3(c) and (d) of the GAC Act, a safeguard officials say underpins the integrity of the process. “We want to reassure the public that under the leadership of Speaker Koon, the House of Representatives is dedicated to holding itself to the same standards that we expect from all public institutions,” the House representative added.
Officials say the outcome could set a precedent for how Liberia’s public institutions manage finances, potentially boosting public trust and improving governance across government.
