Iraqi PM criticizes audit watchdog, orders overhaul with global firms

Shafaq News- Baghdad

Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi on Monday criticized the performance of the Federal Board of Supreme Audit, warning that delayed reviews and weak oversight were undermining financial accountability in state institutions.

Speaking during a Cabinet session, al-Zaidi said some audit documents were destroyed after five years while several state-owned companies had gone unchecked for longer than that, calling the situation “incorrect” for one of Iraq’s most important oversight institutions.

“The financial year ends, and auditing should begin by the seventh month of the following year,” al-Zaidi said, adding that minor violations should be corrected administratively while serious cases must be referred to the judiciary.

He instructed authorities to establish a centralized committee within the Finance Ministry to oversee contracts exceeding a designated financial ceiling and ordered the adoption of both pre- and post-auditing procedures for public spending and project implementation.

Al-Zaidi also directed the government to seek assistance from international auditing firms to modernize oversight procedures and improve financial monitoring until funds are fully utilized in projects.