BENIN: PRESIDENT YAYI APPOINTS 9 STATE AUDITORS TO INCREASE

UNCLAS COTONOU 000512 SIPDIS SENSITIVE SIPDIS DEPT FOR AF/W (D. BANKS) PARIS FOR D'ELIA E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PGOV PREL KCOR KMCA BN SUBJECT: BENIN: PRESIDENT YAYI APPOINTS 9 STATE AUDITORS TO INCREASE FIGHT AGAINST CORRUPTION REF: COTONOU 477 ¶1. (SBU) SUMMARY: As part of his program to crack down on corruption in the country, and particularly in reaction to the recent cases of corruption that have shocked the public (Reftel),President Yayi has appointed nine new State Auditors to the State Audit Office of Benin. In doing so, he has once again demonstrated his commitment to combat corruption in Benin. END SUMMARY ¶2. (U) During a July 6 session of the Council of Ministers, President Yayi appointed nine state auditors to the State Audit Office of Benin (Inspection Generale d'Etat or IGE),an office responsible for auditing government agencies. The Council of Ministers declared that through these appointments the Government of Benin seeks to give the IGE adequate capacity to carry out its mission of advancing good governance and raising the quality of public administration as part of President Yayi's anti-corruption program. In addition, the IGE has been asked to draft an action plan that would cover the next twelve months and would start with an audit of the Presidency, thus demonstrating President Yayi's personal commitment to the fight against corruption. ¶3. (U) President Yayi created the IGE in July 2006, after he dissolved the former Office for the Moralization of Public Life (Cellule de Moralization de la vie Publique),which was established by the government of former President Matthieu Kerekou and which had yielded few results in the fight against corruption. The IGE is under the direct supervision of the Chief of State. By decree N 2006-319 of July 12, 2006, the IGE is charged with auditing all public state services, local government agencies, and national agencies with a public service mandate to ensure that they comply with the laws which govern their financial management. In addition, the Council of Ministers urged civil servants to cooperate with the State Auditors engaged in restoring a sound management of public funds and a smooth and transparent functioning of the public administration. WAGONER