The Supreme Audit Chamber of Kazakhstan successfully completed the international «peer review» conducted by the supreme audit institutions of Portugal, Lithuania and Türkiye, and confirmed its compliance with the international INTOSAI standards. The results of the large-scale work were summed up at a meeting in Astana under the leadership of Alikhan Smailov, Chairman of the Supreme Audit Chamber of the Republic of Kazakhstan.

The meeting was attended by Filipa Urbano Calvão, President of the Court of Auditors of Portugal, Metin Yener, President of the Turkish Court of Accounts, Egidijus Navikas, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Lithuania to the Republic of Kazakhstan, officials from the Executive Office of the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan, the Senate, and the Mazhilis of the Parliament of the Republic of Kazakhstan, and employees of the Supreme Audit Chamber.

During the peer review, a comprehensive assessment of the compliance of the Kazakhstani state audit with the international standards of INTOSAI was carried out, the strengths of the SAC were identified, and directions for further improvement were determined.

In their work, foreign colleagues analyzed the key audit files of the SAC and the national legislation of the Republic of Kazakhstan, conducted interviews with industry specialists, representatives of the Parliament, the Ministry of Finance, and other agencies.

The auditors focused on important aspects of the SAC's activities, such as the planning and execution of audits, the applied methodology, quality management, the use of digital systems, reporting to the President and Parliament, and communication with the media and the public.

Addressing the participants of the meeting, Alikhan Smailov emphasized that conducting peer review is a significant milestone in the development of the Supreme Audit Chamber. This is especially important in light of the ongoing reform of the entire national audit system.

«The transformation of the Supreme Audit Chamber is part of the large-scale socio-political and economic reforms initiated by President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev. These reforms aim to build an open and fair society, strengthen the balance between the branches of government, and enhance the transparency and efficiency in state institutions,» said the Chairman of the Supreme Audit Chamber of the Republic of Kazakhstan.

 He emphasized that the SAC has an important task to promote the formation of sustainable mechanisms for transparency and efficiency in public administration. As part of this process, the institution has successfully implemented the 2021-2025 Development Strategy and adopted a new Strategy for 2026-2030. One of the key goals of these documents is to improve the activities and institutional capacity of state audit in Kazakhstan.

 According to Alikhan Smailov, all stages of audits in Kazakhstan are currently automated through the unified information system of the SAC, which is integrated with 14 information systems of government agencies. However, the institution's current priorities remain further digitalization, the implementation of artificial intelligence tools, and the processing of big data.

«Expanding mandate of the SAC requires the continuous adoption of innovative approaches, international best practices, and international standards. I am confident that the results of the audit will make a significant contribution to strengthening the SAC's capacity and improving the efficiency of state audits,» he said.

One of the main symbolic moments of the event in Astana was the ceremony of handing over the final report, which marked the official completion of the peer review.

Thanking everyone for their productive work, Alikhan Smailov invited his colleagues to participate in the international conference in honor of the 30th anniversary of the Supreme Audit Chamber of the Republic of Kazakhstan, which is scheduled for September this year.

For reference: INTOSAI is an international organization that brings together the supreme audit institutions from more than 190 countries around the world. The organization has the status of a UN partner for transparency, accountability, and sustainable development.

Source : https://www.gov.kz/memleket/entities/esep/press/news/details/1235672?lang=ru