By: Eoghan Olkeriil Ngirudelsang
KOROR, Palau (April 7, 2025) — Acting Public Auditor Saturnino Tewid again appeared before the Senate Committee on Ways and Means & Financial Matters on Monday, as senators expressed frustration over what they called “untimely audits and negligence” by the Office of the Public Auditor (OPA).
Lawmakers were particularly concerned about the long-awaited audit of Palau’s national stablecoin program, overseen by the Ministry of Finance. Despite a Senate request made in 2023, Tewid admitted the audit only began in February 2025.
“The Olbiil Era Kelulau (OEK) cannot wait. It’s been years and that report is still not complete,” said Senator Kerai Mariur.
Tewid explained that the audit was assigned to a staff member who was also working on an audit of the Health Care Fund, requested by Senator Stevenson Kuartei. He pointed to limited staffing as a major obstacle in meeting audit deadlines.
“That is my point. There are just few of us,” Tewid said. “If you really want to help us and strengthen our office, there must be more of us.”
Senators also raised concerns about delayed financial and performance audits on several key government programs and entities, including the Foreign Investment Board, the Koror-Airai Sanitation Project (KASP) loan repayments, and the Palau Public Utilities Corporation’s solar power energy agreement.
Senator Mark Rudimch called the OPA’s delays “negligence,” warning that the lack of timely reports hinders lawmakers’ ability to make informed decisions.
“What is your roadmap so that this requested information will be available to the Olbiil Era Kelulau?” asked Senator Siegfried Nakamura, noting that the office continues to outsource some audit work.
Senator Brian Melairei requested that the OPA submit a quarterly audit timeline to the legislature on remaining audits to be submitted.
The committee meeting also addressed vacancies on the Board of Accountancy. As board chairman, Tewid emphasized the importance of quickly filling the positions, noting the board’s role in certifying accountancy professionals in the country.
The meeting concluded with Tewid agreeing to draft and submit a detailed timeline for completing pending audits and to issue acknowledgment letters for each of the Senate’s outstanding audit requests.
Meanwhile, the Senate continues to await audit results on the stablecoin program and the KASP loan payments. In a related matter, the reappointment of former Finance Minister Kaleb Udui Jr. was reintroduced during Tuesday’s Senate session and referred back to the Committee on Ways and Means & Financial Matters, chaired by Senator Rudimch.