Government-by-Government Assessments: Somalia
During the review period, the government made significant progress by reviewing its budget throughout the fiscal year. The government published its executive budget proposal, enacted budget, and end-of-year report online within a reasonable period. Information on debt obligations was publicly available, including online. Budget documents were substantially complete. The government maintained off-budget accounts not subject to audit or oversight. While actual revenues and expenditures may have deviated from projections, the government issued a revised supplemental budget. The supreme audit institution produced a publicly available review of the government’s accounts. The supreme audit institution was not fully established in law or statute and did not meet international standards of independence but did publish comprehensive and timely audit reports that contained substantive findings. The government specified in law the criteria and procedures for awarding natural resource extraction contracts and licenses and followed those regulations in practice. The government made basic information on natural resource extraction publicly available.
Somalia’s fiscal transparency would be improved by:
* Eliminating off-budget accounts or subjecting them to adequate oversight and audit; and
* Ensuring the supreme audit institution is established in law or statute and meets international standards of independence.