Who is Zimbabwe auditor-general Mildred Chiri?

Educational Qualifications and Experience

Mrs. Chiri obtained a Bachelor of Accountancy Degree from the University of Zimbabwe in 1983 and thereafter undertook a course on Public Finance and Accountancy also from the University of Zimbabwe in 1985.

She then qualified as an articled clerk after enrolling with the Institute of Chartered Accountants where she completed serving articles over the period 1999 to 2002.

In 2015, she obtained her Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA) and became a certified Public Accountant in Zimbabwe (CPA(Z)). She is currently pursuing a Masters in Business Administration with the National University of Science and Technology (NUST).

In 2004, Mrs. Chiri was appointed Comptroller and Auditor General as it was known then, whereupon through her leadership, that office was able to bring up to date the audits of annual financial statements of Government which were in arrears by as much as 5 years at that time – a considerable achievement in its own right.

Mr. Speaker Sir, to this very day, the Auditor General’s office remains up to date with its annual audit reports of Central Government financial statements and parastatals. Hon. Members will recall that the reports for the December 2016 financial year end were tabled in Parliament on June 21, 2017 beating the deadline of June 30.

Mrs. Chiri was pivotal in the development of the Audit Office Act [Chapter 22:18] passed in Parliament in 2011, which saw that department restructure and this led to improved operational efficiencies. Recently, she has developed a three year strategic plan for the office spanning from 2016 – 2018 which aims at strengthening the office in particular areas which are;

· Enhancement of the independence of the institution through appropriate modifications of the legal framework,

· Organisational structure and institutional governance,

· Development of human resources, audit standards and methodology and

· Communication strategies and stakeholder management.

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