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The Ministry of Local Government is considering engaging a team of auditors employed within the ministry to oversee and assist in the preparation of financial reports for municipalities.

This initiative comes as municipal councils face challenges in maintaining their financial records.

Permanent Secretary for Local Government Seema Sharma says 47 financial reports are yet to undergo complete auditing.

Sharma reveals that currently, the Office of the Auditor General is carrying out these audits.

She says this move aims to fast-track their processes for ensuring financial audits are timely.

“That can go out and firstly assist the councils in terms of preparation of their financials, and also during the financial year, look through their processes and see what is not, if not correct, can be improved, and you know, to make recommendations on systems, so you don’t have to wait for, you know, when the Office of the Auditor General comes in and then it is identified.”

The local government ministry will be making submissions for the recruitment of auditors in the next budget.