Amman: President of the Audit Bureau Radi Hamadin, and the United Kingdom's Ambassador to Jordan Philip Hall on Thursday signed a memorandum of understanding between the Audit Bureau, the UK National Audit Office, and the British Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office. The National Audit Office was represented virtually by its Comptroller and Auditor General, Gareth Davies.
According to Jordan News Agency, under the memorandum, the UK National Audit Office and the Independent Audit and Financial Control Authority will conduct a peer review of the Audit Bureau's operations in accordance with international best practices. The review will assess the Bureau's methodologies and audit mechanisms to ensure alignment with international standards, strengthen oversight credibility, and improve audit quality and staff training.
This initiative is part of the cooperation framework between Jordan and the United Kingdom to support the political, economic, and administrative modernization plan, in which the Audit Bureau is a key pillar. Hamadin emphasized that the memorandum is a significant step in fortifying the Jordanian-British partnership in governance and financial oversight. He highlighted that it aligns with Jordan's commitment to advancing transparency, accountability, and efficiency in public financial management under the vision of His Majesty King Abdullah II.
He further explained that the Bureau has undertaken several reforms over the past two years as part of its 2024-2027 strategic plan. These reforms include adopting a risk-based audit methodology, digital transformation in auditing and data analysis, and specialized professional training to enhance human resources. The aim is to align the Bureau's work with international standards and elevate the quality of oversight outputs.
Hamadin also pointed out that the Bureau's recent performance evaluation using the SAI Performance Measurement Framework (PMF) and its cooperation with the UK National Audit Office are significant strides towards institutional development and self-assessment. Hall highlighted the crucial role of auditing institutions in safeguarding public resources and enhancing citizens' trust in government. He praised the Audit Bureau's shift from traditional to performance auditing, which emphasizes ensuring "value for money," and reiterated the United Kingdom's support for these reforms.
Davies remarked that the agreement signifies a mutual commitment to improvement, innovation, and accountability, expressing his office's readiness to support the Audit Bureau through expertise exchange and capacity-building programs. The memorandum builds on ongoing UK technical support to the Audit Bureau, bolstering its efforts to develop performance auditing, strengthen its independence, and enhance credibility and trust at both the national and international levels.