WAJIBU Institute, initiated by former Controller and Auditor General (CAG) Ludovick Utouh, has been tasked to assist the Zanzibar version of the same office to improve performance and promote accountability.

Dr Othman Abbas Ali, the current Zanzibar CAG, yesterday signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the now established initiative to enhance the public understanding of CAG reports and support the work of that office in auditing large-scale government projects.

|He talked of long-standing collaboration with the institute, as the top civil servant worked with its initiator during his tenure as Union CAG, noting that the cooperation took a while to delve into audits of development projects.

The collaboration has during this period included audits of embassies, which the Zanzibar CAG worked with the former CAG when he was still in office, and he saw an opportunity to formalize their cooperation with an MoU upon his nomination as CAG, he explained.

The collaboration is intended to make reports issued by the CAG more accessible to the public, by simplifying those reports using plain language and visual aids such as cartoons, he stated.

The MoU allows for capacity building with personnel exchanges and the creation of project channels, drawing on experience of Wajibu staff, he said, underlining that the Zanzibar CAG office has introduced specialized audits.

These include forensic audits for money laundering and plans to use this partnership to access the necessary expertise, he said, pointing at infrastructure projects like roads, schools, hospitals and ports.

Zanzibar has recently begun exploring oil extraction and the blue economy concept, developments that require skilled auditors capable of being furnished by Wajibu Institute.

This provision reduces the need for hiring expensive foreign experts, he said, while the Wajibu director highlighted the importance of educating the public on understanding public finances.

He stressed the need to protect public property, pointing out that when citizens do not recognize the value of public assets, they are less likely to protect them.

The institute, which was established mid past decade, is designed to simplify annual reports of the CAG and help government institutions implement its numerous recommendations.

Proper management of public funds leads to development achievements and poverty reduction, he said, pointing at Wajibu Institute partnership with the Policy Forum, securing funding from the European Union to implement initiatives in both parts of the union.

These initiatives are meant to improve public finance management and accountability, where Semkae Kilonzo, the Policy Forum executive director, praised the MoU, as making CAG reports easier to understand will empower citizens to hold the government accountable.

The institute also conducts seminars and workshops to build the capacity of MPs, journalists, government officials and the general public, fostering greater citizen participation in the accountability process, he added.