By: Eoghan Olkeriil Ngirudelsang
Koror, Palau – More than 500 participants gathered in Palau for the 35th annual conference of the Association of Pacific Islands Public Auditors (APIPA), held from August 26 to 30. The attendees, hailing from various Pacific regions including Palau, the Marshall Islands, Pohnpei, Chuuk, Kosrae, Yap, the Northern Mariana Islands, Guam, American Samoa, Samoa, Fiji, and the United States, convened to discuss critical issues in public auditing and finance.
This event marks one of the largest regional gatherings in Palau since the 2022 Our Ocean Conference. President Surangel Whipps Jr. credited the success of hosting such a significant event to the new island hopper route provided by Nauru Airlines, which connects Palau with the rest of Micronesia and the broader Pacific region.
“We welcome this as another form of tourism and hope to see more of it,” President Whipps said during a press conference.
The conference, themed “Bridging the Gap of Public Accountability and Transparency,” underscores the collective commitment of Pacific nations to enhancing accountability and transparency in public finance. “These goals are crucial to the integrity and effectiveness of our governments across the Pacific,” said Palau’s Acting Public Auditor, Saturnino Tewid.
In his opening remarks, President Whipps emphasized the critical importance of transparency and accountability in government spending. “The money we use in government is the people’s money, and we must use it to the best of our abilities to serve the people,” he stated.
The conference features a wide array of sessions and presentations covering topics such as auditing, grants management, governmental accounting, and investigations. Eleven instructors will lead the courses, offering both live and in-person training.
The event, held at the national gym, kicked off with an opening ceremony and will include a welcoming reception, training sessions, group luncheons, and a farewell event in the coming days.
APIPA was founded in 1988 by the heads of auditing organizations from Palau, the Federated States of Micronesia, the Northern Mariana Islands, Guam, and the Marshall Islands. Funded by the U.S. Department of the Interior, it serves as a platform for courses and training in auditing and finance.
This year, Palau’s Acting Public Auditor, Saturnino Tewid, serves as the conference chairman. Notably, Palau’s Public Auditor’s Office is among the most independent in the world, established under Article XII, Section 2 of the Constitution. The Public Auditor is appointed by the President and must be confirmed by both houses of Congress for a six-year term. The position can only be terminated by a two-thirds vote from each house of the Olbiil Era Kelulau. In the event of a vacancy, the Chief Justice appoints an Acting Public Auditor until a new one is appointed and confirmed. Auditor Tewid’s term expired in 2019, and he was reappointed as Acting Public Auditor by the late Chief Justice Arthur Ngiraklsong.
The APIPA conference is one of three regional gatherings hosted in Palau this month, following the PIPG conference and the APIL General Assembly.