UAE President issues decree to establish Accountability Authority

The UAE’s President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan has issued a federal decree to establish the country’s Accountability Authority, according to the state-run news agency, Emirates News Agency.

The new authority, which will report directly to the President, replaces the Supreme Audit Institution. It will be the supreme authority for financial control, auditing, integrity and transparency in the UAE.

The authority aims to enhance “instilling integrity, accountability, transparency and good governance in the federal government” and other related entities to bolster the UAE’s reputation as well as trust in its financial and economic system.

The new authority is responsible for reviewing and auditing the federal government’s consolidated annual report and auditing the annual financial statements of individual and combined entities under its oversight.

Accountability Authority decree

The decree stipulates that the authority’s responsibilities also include assessing the efficiency and effectiveness of internal control systems, setting the supreme policies on integrity, and combating financial and administrative corruption.

Furthermore, the decree stipulates that heads of entities are subject to oversight and the relevant ministers must implement the findings of the supervision conducted by the authority.

The authority is tasked with investigating complaints and reports related to financial misuse, conflicts of interest, abuse of authority, unauthorised disclosure of official information, or leveraging public office for personal or third-party benefit.

Its functions also cover the implementation of preventive measures, administrative investigations, financial disclosures, identifying mechanisms to protect whistleblowers and witnesses, as well as initiatives to recover public funds.

To uphold high-level accounting and governance standards, the authority is empowered to audit, scrutinise and evaluate documents, data, reports, digital records and electronic systems of the concerned entities.

The authority holds the power to access the external audit reports; in addition to accessing entities’ electronic systems and programmes to assess the protection of their official data and information.

The decree delineates the procedures for conducting an administrative investigation, in which the accountability authority informs the entity subject to its supervision or the competent authority to impose a disciplinary penalty on the violating employee.

It also authorises the provision of an incentive, whether moral or financial, to any individual who provides substantial information leading to uncovering a financial and administrative corruption offence.

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