Lower House passes 2018 amendments to Audit Bureau Law

AMMAN — The Lower House on Wednesday endorsed the 2018 draft amendments to the Audit Bureau Law.

The bill requires following international standards issued by the International Organisation of Supreme Audit Institutions (INTOSAI) on subjects related to auditing, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

The draft law, according to its validating reasons, aims at enhancing the independence of the Audit Bureau in a way that enables it to implement its constitutional role in oversight over state revenues and expenditures in line with INTOSAI practices.

The bill also requires the bureau to present an annual report for each fiscal year to both Houses of the Parliament, the prime minister and the finance minister. It also requires the bureau to publish the report, including on its website.

The president of the bureau has the right to check on all reports and information collected from financial and administrative inspectors and on other related reports of public departments.

The bill will allow the bureau, in special cases, to monitor expenditures before disbursement, without the need of the prime minister as required in the old version of the law.

According to Petra, MPs also deliberated on the 2018 bill of the fund of martyrs of the Jordan Armed Forces-Arab Army and security apparatuses. The bill would enhance and unify benefits given to families of security personnel who have been killed.