Tarawa, Kiribati - Citizens in Kiribati now have clearer, more accessible ways to track how public money is managed — and how audit findings are being addressed. A new Citizen Audit Guide, launched in Tarawa, simplifies complex audit information and empowers communities to engage directly with government institutions.

The guide was developed by the Kiribati Audit Office (KAO) with technical support from UNDP’s Vaka Pasifika project funded by the European Union. The EU’s support reflects its commitment to citizen-led accountability and resilient governance across the Pacific.

The guide translates findings from a 2024 performance audit into plain language, helping citizens understand:
•    Why the audit was conducted and what problems were found.
•    How procurement procedures are expected to work under the Public Procurement Act 2019; and
•    What actions citizens can take to raise questions and encourage improvement.

The audit reviewed the procurement of vehicles worth AUD 419,351 across three ministries — Finance and Economic Development (MFED), Infrastructure and Sustainable Energy (MISE), and Environment, Land and Agricultural Development (MELAD). It identified weaknesses in planning, tendering, and contracting, including:
•    Inadequate documentation.
•    Missing conflict-of-interest declarations; and
•    Lack of transparency in award notifications.

Recommendations focused on strengthening procurement planning, training evaluation committees, and improving contract management.

The launch event brought together civil society leaders, government representatives, and development partners for discussions rooted in Pacific ways of knowing and doing. 

UNDP Deputy Resident Representative for the North Pacific Office, Gulbahor Nematova, emphasized the value of citizen expertise:

“We have in this room the highest level of expertise on the legal and technical aspects of public finance management which exists in Kiribati, but we also have another type of experts: those who specialize in monitoring results in real time and assessing services. I am, of course, talking about citizens and communities present.”

The Citizen Audit Guide is part of broader efforts by the Vaka Pasifika project to strengthen audit systems and responsiveness to public concerns. This includes support for a new Quality Management Manual and a grant to the Kiribati Association of Non-Governmental Organisations (KANGO) to implement the Public Finance Management (PFM) project nationally.

We gratefully acknowledge the support of the European Union in making this citizen-led initiative possible.

The Citizen Audit Guide which has already sparked civil society's interest in budget transparency and oversight is available online at Citizens Audit Guide: Kiribati 2024 | United Nations Development Programme. 

For more information contact:

Sofaia Koroitanoa, Vaka Pasifika Communications Specialist, UNDP Pacific Office in Fiji, sofaia.koroitanoa@undp.org