The Fijian Competition and Consumer Com­mission (FCCC) to ensure accountability and transparency has for the first time established an internal audit function.

This division is being led by Vincent Daveta, who has been recruited from the Office of the Auditor General.

Mr Daveta has more than 10 years’ experience in auditing and accountancy having been previously employed in simi­lar roles in other public and private bodies.

He has successfully complet­ed his Bachelor of Arts De­gree in Accounting and Eco­nomics from the University of the South Pacific.

It was imperative for FCCC to setup an internal audit func­tion to promote good govern­ance by being in synchronisa­tion with the Public Service values, government mandate and moreover ensure compli­ance with the 2013 Constitu­tion, particularly Chapter 1 which stipulates the values including transparency and accountability.

Strict adherence to good gov­ernance is key to reducing the risks of public corruption and ensuring the public sectors credibility.

As such, the role of a Public Sector Auditing is a corner­stone of good public sector governance as it helps provide unbiased and objective as­sessments of whether public resources are managed and utilised responsibly and ef­fectively to achieve intended results.

The auditors further help public sector organisations assess whether public sector entities are doing what they are supposed to do, identify emerging challenges and pro­vide workable solutions.

The setup of the internal au­dit was essential for the FCCC which could look into stream­lining the processes and struc­tures implemented by the board towards the achieve­ment of FCCC’s overall objec­tives.

With the five year Strategic Plan (2018 – 2023) in place, the IA will be heavily involved in ensuring that the internal pol­icies and procedures of FCCC are updated allowing effective overall operations and timely deliverance of the strategic goals.

The IA will also be involved in reviewing the current op­erations of FCCC to identify control deficiencies and make timely recommendations for improvements.

The internal auditor will be actively involved in verifying the financial statements of the FCCC as well.

FCCC is focussed on continu­ous self-assessment and im­provement to allow for better decision making which pro­liferates the virtues of good governance.

Fijian Competition and Con­sumer Commission (FCCC)

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