KUALA LUMPUR: Every government project is now scrutinised carefully and put through proper bidding and procurement processes, said Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail.
She said this is to ensure that the government can get the right project built by the right people, for the right quality, at the right price and completed on time.
“We believe that effective governance in the public sector encourages the efficient use of resources and effective service delivery,” she said when opening the 5th ASEAN Supreme Audit Institutions (ASEANSAI) Summit here today.
Dr Wan Azizah underscored that zero-based budgeting has been introduced to take funds away from programmes, activities or projects that are inefficient, ineffective and fraught with leakages.
They are instead channelled to programmes, activities or projects that do indeed work, the deputy prime minister said.
Dr Wan Azizah said that accountability, transparency, integrity and good governance are the norms of the current administration and its priority agenda.
“We are determined to reverse the alarming trends of abuse of power, corruption and impunity to transform the country towards a New Malaysia based on the principles of rule of law, fairness and inclusivity,” she said.
Elsewhere in the speech, Dr Wan Azizah said recognising the importance of independence of Malaysia’s National Audit Department, the Special Cabinet Committee on Anti-Corruption has agreed in principle to enhance the independence of the Auditor-General by amending the Audit Act 1957.
“Amending the Act alone is not enough. We must also ensure the quality and competency of audit tasks by providing adequate funding, relevant tools and facilities, subject to the availability of the national budget as a whole,” she said.
Turning to SAIs, she emphasised the crucial need for cooperation among ASEANSAI members in implementing the ASEANSAI Strategic Plan 2018-2021, including the strategic goal of supporting the implementation of International Standards of Supreme Audit Institutions and other good practices.
“I hope SAI Malaysia will lead the brainstorming on how to coordinate and collaborate learning and knowledge sharing at the ASEAN level,” she added.
— BERNAMA
