How Somalia's forensic audit has increased revenue collection by Sh103 million

Gutale said the forensic audits were launched following a compliance audit in 2020 for the fiscal year 2019, which identified suspicious activities across multiple government sectors.

according to him, the in-depth investigation spanned three years, rigorously examining the financial activities of various departments.

“A total of 22 officers were accused by the Office of the Attorney General. Among them were 15 officers from the Immigration and Nationality Directorate, 3 officers from the Ministry of Finance and Central Bank, and 4 officers from the Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs,” said Gutale in a statement.

He said 11 of these officers have been convicted of criminal activities, receiving prison sentences ranging from 1 to 9 years.

Additionally, several individuals have been barred from government employment for five years.

In the audit, the work permits and visa extensions sector had collected $33,370,260 but only $12,437,690 was deposited into the Treasury Single Account leaving an alarming $20,932,570 unaccounted for.

In the passport services sector, Gutale said the audits found that of the $41,804,998 collected, nearly $4,976,951 was embezzled.

He said the findings underscored the urgent need for stricter financial controls and oversight within Somali government agencies.

“The forensic audits revealed that out of the $33.37 million collected from work permits and visa extensions, only $12.44 million was deposited into the Treasury Single Account indicating that over $20.93 million was embezzled,” said Gutale.

He said, “The discovery of over $25.9 million in embezzled funds was a clear indicator of the scale of financial mismanagement we have been able to address through our forensic audits”.

Gutale said the increase in revenue has empowered the Treasury Single Account to maintain government employees’ salaries without the need for additional support or loans starting from July 2023.

The audits, he said, have also clarified the legal responsibilities of all authorized officers and their representatives, ensuring better management and oversight of government properties.

He said the average monthly income from visa extensions for instance has risen from $160,419.67 to $439,045.00 after the audits.

In the work permit services, Gutale said the average monthly income increased from $43,476.89 to $358,400.