Need for new techniques to audit Blue Economy: CAG Murmu

New Delhi: Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) Girish Chandra Murmu on Monday stressed the importance of developing techniques to effectively audit 'Blue Economy' during the SAI20 (Supreme Audit Institutions-20) Summit in Goa, being held under India's G20 presidency.

In his opening address, Murmu highlighted that these institutions have a crucial role to play in the audit of 'Blue Economy' and 'Responsible AI' to ensure good governance, transparency and accountability and to optimise their positive impact on humankind.

While recognizing the importance of sustainability, growth and role of emerging technologies, he informed that the SAI20 priority areas – “Blue Economy” and “Responsible Artificial Intelligence” – represent the new-age opportunities and concerns and these underline the need for genuine cooperation.

Murmu said that to keep ahead of the curve, the SAI20 community must prioritize collaborations in arriving at new techniques, skills, capabilities and methods and that SAIs must proactively formalize channels and platforms that would facilitate these collaborations.

While discussing the possibility and perils of AI, he emphasized that it was essential that policy makers put in place processes to responsibly harness the potential of this technology. He said that as AI was making greater inroads into governance, SAIs must inevitably prepare themselves for auditing AI based governance systems and SAIs must look for opportunities to adopt AI into their audit techniques to increase their effectiveness.

He also announced the setting up of a Center of Excellence in the Blue Economy at SAI India's International Centre for Environment Audit and Sustainable Development (iCED).

Speaking at the event, Amitabh Kant, the G20 Sherpa, hailed the establishment of SAI20 as a positive step. He acknowledged the network created between SAIs and governments, enabling them to coordinate and articulate strategies. He emphasized the role of SAIs as partners in governance, contributing to greater transparency and accountability.

In his inaugural address, Goa Governor P. S. Sreedharan Pillai, highlighted the central role of the SAI20 Group, under the aegis of G20, in strengthening governance and delivering a positive impact on citizens' lives. He underscored the importance of SAIs in ensuring accountability, effectiveness, and integrity in governance.

The SAI20 Summit witnessed the participation of approximately 85 national and international delegates from G20 member SAIs, including Australia, Brazil, Korea, Indonesia, India, Russia, Saudi Arabia, and Turkey. Guest SAIs from Bangladesh, Egypt, Mauritius, Nigeria, Oman, Spain, and the UAE, as well as invited SAIs from Morocco and Poland, were also in attendance.

International organizations such as USAID and the World Bank, along with engagement groups like Think20 and Youth20, contributed to the productive deliberations held during the SAI20 meetings under the chairmanship of SAI India.