Amman — All eyes are on the end of November for the Audit Bureau's report for 2025, expected to be unveiled and its details published and circulated to public opinion and the media, including the results and outputs of the oversight work. Meanwhile, the rate of response to the Bureau's observations and recommendations has risen notably, reaching 71% last year, compared to 35% in 2021, an increase of 36 percentage points over five years, marking the highest level in the Kingdom's history.
اضافة اعلان
The forthcoming report comes as indicators of engagement with oversight outputs develop, and the importance of following up on corrective measures and addressing the observations recorded by oversight bodies grows. This strengthens accountability, raises the efficiency of financial and administrative performance, and helps protect public money. The report's details and contents are expected to indicate the nature of the observations and violations the Bureau has recorded, and the extent to which public institutions have responded to them.
In this context, a government source familiar with the matter, who asked not to be named, told Al Ghad that the report is ready, and is expected to be unveiled, its details published and circulated via the Bureau's website, and made available to the media, by the end of November.
The source added that the disclosure, publication, and circulation of the report's details will coincide with the phase following the opening of the third ordinary session of the 20th Parliament, after its submission by the Bureau's president to the House, in compliance with the constitutional requirement.
He explained that it will not see radical changes in its form or general structure, as it will be similar to its predecessors in appearance, while its details and contents include the results and outputs of the Bureau's oversight work over the year.
Bureau president Dr. Radi Al-Hammadin is scheduled to hand the report to the presidents of the Senate and the House of Representatives, in compliance with the constitutional requirement under Article 119 of the Constitution, which provides for the Bureau to monitor state revenues and expenditures and how they are disbursed, and to submit a general report to both houses, including violations committed and the resulting liability, the Bureau's opinions and observations, at the start of each ordinary session or whenever either house requests it.
In earlier statements, Al-Hammadin stressed that the Bureau draws inspiration from the directives of His Majesty King Abdullah II to develop its work and reporting methodology, and to carry out its duties to the fullest and without delay, in accordance with the law, and to adhere to standards of objectivity and transparency in its reports, indicating areas of dysfunction while preserving institutions' achievements, serving as a beacon for developing work mechanisms.
He pointed to the importance of integration among state institutions, serving the interests of the homeland and citizens, through developing oversight mechanisms and strengthening the Bureau's capacity to perform its duties to the highest professional and transparency standards.
In earlier statements, Al-Hammadin also affirmed that the response rate to oversight outputs rose from 35% to 71% over five years, the highest level in the Kingdom's history, noting that this indicator measures the extent to which entities subject to oversight engage with the Bureau's observations and recommendations and the measures taken in response.
The Bureau continues to develop its oversight tools and follow up on corrective measures, in integration with government follow-up and parliamentary oversight, aiming to strengthen accountability, reduce the recurrence of violations, raise financial and administrative performance efficiency, and protect public money.
The anticipated disclosure of the report comes as the Senate prepares to open its third ordinary session today, with His Majesty King Abdullah II delivering the Throne Speech before the Senate, in a session carrying political, legislative, and oversight obligations, led by the election of a new House Speaker and members of the Permanent Bureau, alongside discussion of priority economic, social, and legislative files.
In this context, the importance of the Audit Bureau report expected to be published at the end of the month stands out, as an essential tool available for strengthening oversight of public institutions' performance, verifying compliance of supervised bodies with legislation and instructions, and following up on measures taken to address the observations and violations recorded by the Bureau.
The 71% response rate to oversight outputs last year also carries importance in assessing the level of institutions' engagement with observations and recommendations, and how far corrective measures have progressed, especially as the Bureau continues developing its oversight tools in integration with government follow-up and parliamentary oversight, to curb the recurrence of violations, strengthen accountability, and protect public money.
Publishing the report and making its details available to public opinion and the media is expected to provide an opportunity to review the results of the Bureau's oversight work, including its observations and outputs related to the financial and administrative performance of the bodies under its supervision, and to track the extent to which they respond to recommendations and corrective measures.
These files come at a time when the nature of the present stage requires strengthening integration between government and parliamentary oversight, so that treatment isn't limited to recording violations and observations, but extends to following up on correcting them, verifying they aren't repeated, and raising the efficiency of spending and public administration.
Between the legislative and oversight obligations of the third ordinary session and the anticipated disclosure of the report, attention turns to what the coming phase will yield regarding the performance of public institutions, and the extent to which oversight outputs reflect on improving financial and administrative management, strengthening accountability, and safeguarding public money.
The new session of the Senate also carries special importance in light of the obligations awaiting the legislative and executive authorities. The Throne Speech is likely to contain royal directives related to national work priorities and paths of political, economic, and administrative reform, and to strengthen the state institutions' capacity to deal with local, regional, and international challenges.
According to the constitution, His Majesty opens the ordinary session of the Senate by delivering the Throne Speech before both houses jointly, while the Senate and House of Representatives each submit an address containing their response to the speech, in accordance with Article 79 of the Constitution.
Following the Throne Speech, the Senate completes its procedures related to the start of the new session, including electing the committee drafting the response to the Throne Speech and the members of the Permanent Bureau, while the obligation moves to the House of Representatives, which holds its first session to elect a new House Speaker, the first and second deputies, and assistants to the Speaker, and begins electing the permanent parliamentary committees.
Source: Al-Ghad. Reporting by Iman Al-Fares
