India, Israel sign MoU to strengthen cooperation in public sector auditing

New Delhi: The Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) of India and the Supreme Audit Institution (SAI) of Israel have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) aimed at enhancing cooperation in public sector auditing.

According to an official release, Matanyahu Englman, State Comptroller and Ombudsman of Israel and President of the European Organisation of Supreme Audit Institutions (EUROSAI), visited the Office of the Comptroller and Auditor General of India along with a high-level delegation from the Office of the State Comptroller and Ombudsman of Israel.

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During the visit, a bilateral meeting was held between the Comptroller and Auditor General of India, K Sanjay Murthy and Englman.

The meeting culminated in the signing of the MoU between the Supreme Audit Institutions of India and Israel.

According to the release, the MoU provides a framework for enhanced cooperation in public sector auditing through the exchange of professional knowledge, methodologies, technical expertise, training opportunities and best practices. Discussions were also held on the feasibility of organising bilateral seminars alternately in India and Israel to facilitate the exchange of professional expertise, experiences and innovative practices in areas of mutual interest.

The release stated that the engagement reaffirmed the shared commitment of both institutions to promoting transparency, accountability, good governance and innovation in public administration, while further strengthening cordial relations between India and Israel.

As part of the visit, Englman delivered a lecture under the Dr BR Ambedkar Lecture Series on the theme "Artificial Intelligence in Public Sector Auditing: Advanced Applications, Performance Auditing and Innovative Tools in Modern State Auditing".

The release noted that the lecture highlighted the transformative potential of emerging technologies, including Artificial Intelligence and data analytics, in enhancing the effectiveness, efficiency and impact of public sector audits.

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Drawing on the experience of the Office of the State Comptroller and Ombudsman of Israel, Englman shared insights on leveraging innovative technologies to strengthen public oversight, improve accountability and address emerging governance challenges.

The bilateral meeting was attended by KS Subramanian, Deputy Comptroller and Auditor General; BK Mohanty, Chief Technology Officer; and Vimalendra Patwardhan, Director General from SAI India. The Israeli delegation included Reuven Azar, Ambassador of Israel to India, and Miri Weiss, Head of the International Department, Office of the State Comptroller and Ombudsman of Israel.