India, Morocco to boost audit capacity building, sign MoU to foster bilateral relations

Rabat [Morocco], September 17 : Girish Chandra Murmu, Comptroller and Auditor General of India and Zineb El Adaoui, the first President of the Court of Accounts, Morocco have decided to develop and strengthen their institutional professional capacities and share methodologies in the field of public audit.

An MoU to this effect was signed by CAG Girish Chandra Murmu and Zineb El Adaoui at Rabat on Friday. In signing the MOU, both parties also agreed to conduct training programmes in their respective countries and explore other means of capacity development support. Murmu is currently on an official visit to Morocco, read a press release by the office of the Comptroller and Auditor General of India.

CAG said that the MoU is a reaffirmation of the values and goals that both institutions have shared over a long period and a cementing of the ties that already exist between our two nations. CAG was positive that the MoU will yield many opportunities for greater exchange of knowledge and experience between both SAIs and will also foster the spirit of cooperation and friendship between the SAIs.
Murmu viewed that in today's rapidly changing world, new technologies constantly create fresh avenues for audit and make audits more efficient and expressed confidence that the exchange of knowledge and capacity development initiatives between SAI India and Morocco will equip them in the use of emerging technologies for auditing.
CAG highlighted the active participation of SAI Morocco in the working group on Environmental Audit which has resulted in two excellent reference guides in this area. The study on 'Land Use and Land Management Practices in Environmental Perspective' led by SAI Morocco has brought out a document that deals comprehensively with the various types of land use, the types of degradation, and the modalities of auditing land use from an environmental and sustainability perspective.
Speaking about SAI India's initiatives in the field of IT audit and data analytics, Murmu said that the IT Audits conducted by SAI India include the audit of citizen-centric subjects and focus on transparency in e-governance, and national security interests.
Such audits are overarching covering central ministries, state government, local bodies, autonomous bodies etc. IT Audits have also been conducted in State Owned Enterprises (like Oil, Insurance and Electricity Boards etc.).
CAG also informed that it is Centre for Data Management and Analysis has been supporting many SAIs within and outside to enhance their capabilities with the use of data analytics in the field of public sector audit.
He said that the global training facility of SAI India, the International Centre for Environmental Audit & Sustainable Development (ICED) has also been closely working with SAIs and other international organisations for capacity development initiatives in the field of Environmental Audit and Sustainable Development.
CAG was happy to inform the First President about the participation of 60 officers from SAI Morocco in the International Training Programs at our Global Training Facilities viz. ICISA, Noida and ICED, Jaipur to date.
Murmu highlighted the relations between India and Morocco which dated back several centuries to Ibn Battuta, the famed 14th Century traveller from Tangiers, who visited India and left detailed accounts of the life of the common people of India during that time.
The deep-rooted links shared by both the countries from the days of that famous traveller and the warmth of these civilization ties are reflected in the modern-day relations between India and Morocco as well. He said that the rich culture and heritage of Morocco are greatly admired by the people of India which is evident from a large number of Indians visiting Morocco every year.
CAG said that the high-level engagement between the two nations in recent years has contributed to bringing the relations on an upward trajectory by way of intensified cooperation in several areas including Counter-Terrorism, Space, Cyber, Extradition, IT, Health, and Education.
He expressed the confidence that the present engagement between India (SAI India) and Morocco (SAI Morocco) in the field of capacity building in public sector audit shall result in further deepening of bilateral ties.
CAG of India informed that the audit institutions of India and Morocco are committed to enabling the achievement of the United Nations Agenda of Sustainable Development and are deeply mindful of the very complex nature of this audit given the composite inter linkages and the cross-cutting nature of the sustainable development goals.
CAG further informed that as Chair of the INTOSAI Knowledge Sharing Committee, SAI India has sought to encourage studies into the practical aspects of SDG auditing.
Murmu expressed his keenness to strengthen the bilateral cooperation with SAI Morocco by signing the MoU between both SAIs and committed to working closely with SAI Morocco assuring them of support and commitment to energize the capacity development initiatives and exchange of knowledge and information between the SAIs of India and Morocco.