By Omar Bah
The Gambia and Tanzania audit institutions have entered a practical partnership aimed at strengthening audit quality, building staff capacity, and tightening public financial oversight.
The collaboration is centered on technical exchange between The Gambia’s National Audit Office and Tanzania’s National Audit Office, with a focus on improving audit regimes rather than just signing a ceremonial agreement.
The move aims to improve accountability systems in both countries through shared expertise and institutional cooperation. It is also meant to deepen professional skills, strengthen performance auditing, and support more credible oversight of public funds.
For The Gambia, the deal comes at a time when audit institutions are under pressure to raise standards, close capacity gaps, and improve public trust in financial reporting. For Tanzania, the partnership reinforces its role as a regional reference point for audit development and institutional learning.
Speaking shortly after the signing, the Gambia’s Auditor General Amadou Sowe said the Memorandum of Understanding represents far more than a formal agreement.
“It symbolises our shared commitment to advancing public sector auditing through sustained cooperation, mutual learning, knowledge sharing, and institutional capacity development. It reflects our common belief that by working together, we can build stronger institutions that uphold integrity, promote transparency, and contribute meaningfully to improved governance and public financial management within our respective countries,” he added.
He said the MoU will also serve as an important framework for collaboration in areas of mutual interest, including capacity building, technical cooperation, staff exchanges, professional development, knowledge sharing, joint initiatives, and the exchange of best practices.
“It will undoubtedly strengthen the institutional capacity of both our offices and reinforce our shared commitment to delivering greater value to our citizens.”
He added that strong and independent supreme audit institutions play a critical role in safeguarding public resources, strengthening democratic governance, and enhancing public confidence in government institutions.
Mr Charles E Kichere, the Controller and Auditor General (CAG) of Tanzania said the move is a shared commitment to improving accountability.
He said his office undertakes the commitment to make available its professionals and experienced staff to the service of the corporation in line with the MoU and keep them available for the full duration of the partnership.
“We are also commitment and ready to respond to further technical needs as they arise.”
He added that his office is also willing to support the auditing of the Central Bank of The Gambia which is currently been outsourced.
“We are ready to share our practical experience, extends pair to pair review, internships and other mutual benefits when the need arises because we have the experience,” he added.
He disclosed that the Central Bank of Tanzania is audited by his team of professionals.
“Our team of professionals will also work alongside your team in the areas of information technology, information system audit, forensic audit, finance audit, compliance audit and any other area we jointly identified. We will learn from one another because nobody has a monopoly of knowledge,” he said.
He assured the Gambia’s Auditor General that his office views the MoU as a partnership of equals.
“I want to also assure my counterpart that Tanzania will keep every commitment during this partnership,” he avered.
