Transcript for Mr Ihlen Joseph, Public Auditor State of Pohnpei in FSM

Hi, My name is Ihlen Joseph and I’m the Public Auditor for the State of Pohnpei in the Federated States of Micronesia. I’m also the Chairman of the Pacific Association of Supreme Audit Institutions.

I am doing this in Guam. I’m attending the PMF workshop for the Northern Pacific. Based on this week’s SAI PMF workshop learning process and the experience, I must say that I am very happy that our Pohnpei OPA Office is excited to participate in the project. I think that if properly planned, implemented and with better _________________ understanding of the project, it will be a very very useful tool for big or small SAIs in the Pacific.

I am looking forward to the peer review report that would be assessing my SAI. The plan is, the results, the report, will be anything document that my small SAI can use for many purpose. Basically or primarily I plan to use the assessment report for my leadership especially the lawmakers, to improve the legal mandate. I think in every SAI in the Pacific, and most especially in the North Pacific, Federated FSM, our legal mandate are not really clear in some areas and I’m hoping that PMF review and assessment will identify those areas so we can amend them, our enabling legislations, to clarify and be transparent on what we can do.

The other ways that I look forward to using the assessment report in pursuant to looking for either financial or technical assistance. I think it would be more effective and productive when you’re using an independent review to assist in your proposals for technical or financial assistance from the donor community. And of course, as a training tool for the Pohnpei staff of the SAI employees.

So these are some of the things that I’m really looking forward to and I’m very very pleased that this workshop has explained the purposes, the reasons and what is the anticipated outcome of the project and how each SAI can adopt it and utilise it to support improvement in their services.

I also like to take this opportunity to extend on behalf of the PASAI members, our appreciation to IDI. I think they have been instrumental and helpful in this exercise. And I also thank the PASAI Secretariat and management for bringing this project to the Northern Pacific.