ISLAMABAD, Feb 20 (APP): Pakistan and Turkey Monday discussed matters relating to enhancement of cooperation between Court of Accounts (TCA) and Auditor General of Pakistan (AGP).
TCA and AGP signed MoU last year to mutually benefit from each other’s experience and expertise. The MoU provided for co-operation through parallel and joint audits, co-operative audits and peer reviews.
The matter to enhancing collaboration between TCA and AGP came under discussion during a meeting of TCA delegation with Finance Minister, Senator Mohammad Ishaq here.
The visiting TCA delegation was led by its Deputy President, Fikret ker, while Auditor General of Pakistan (AGP), Rana Assad Amin, accompanied it.
Speaking on the occasion, Dar said, collaboration would help modernize audit practices of two countries.
“Pakistan welcomes close collaboration between TCA and AGP that could help modernize audit practices in both countries, thereby bringing improvement in overall governance with particular emphasis on transparency in financial matters,” He said while talking to TCA delegation that called on him here.
Dar said like Turkey, the Constitution of Pakistan provided for the mechanism of AGP which functions independently and had the mandate to ensure transparency in all financial matters in the country.
He also apprised the TCA delegation about Pakistan’s participation in the Open Government Partnership (OGP), a multilateral initiative, which aimed to secure concrete commitments from governments to promote transparency, empower citizens, fight corruption, and harness new technologies to strengthen governance.
He said Pakistan had also become member of the OECD Anti-Tax Evasion Convention.
Dar expressed his condolences to Fikret ker and the Turkish people at the loss of precious lives in terrorist attacks in Turkey.
He said the Pakistani people stand in solidarity with Turkey at this difficult time.
Dar said Pakistan had also suffered from attacks in the last two weeks which had resulted in the loss of numerous innocent lives in different parts of the country.
He emphasized that the government and people of Pakistan were strongly determined to eliminate the menace of terrorism from the country.
In his remarks on the occasion, Fikret Coker said being in Pakistan was like being at home.
He said friendship between Turkey and Pakistan was very deep rooted and one of a kind.
He highlighted that the current visit was focused on streamlining cooperation activities between TCA and AGP under the MoU signed last year and in this regard they had detailed exchange of views with senior officials at the AGP office.
He also welcomed the concepts of parallel and joint audit, and exchange of visits by experts, assuring complete cooperation from TCA in upgrading audit systems in both the countries.
Coker on behalf of the president TCA and members of his delegation, also expressed deep sense of sorrow over the heinous acts of terror that occurred across the country during the last few days.
He said the Turkish people shared the grief of their Pakistani brethren and prayed that Allah may grant them the courage to bear the great loss of precious lives.