Overview
The Federal Board of Supreme Audit is Iraq’s supreme audit institution, responsible for auditing public entities and overseeing the use of public money. The institution dates back to 1927, when the Accounts Auditing Department Law No. 17 of 1927 created it. Law No. 31 of 2011 is its current governing statute.
Constitutional Status
Under the 2005 Constitution, the Board is an independent body attached to the Council of Representatives and regulated by law. It is considered the highest authority in Iraq for protecting public funds.
Powers and Functions
The law grants the Board wide powers that reinforce its administrative and regulatory independence. In general terms, the Board:
- Audits the accounts and activities of ministries, state companies, and any body that spends public money.
- Reviews the state’s final accounts and reports its findings to parliament.
- Refers financial violations and suspected corruption to the competent authorities.
- Conducts performance audits, increasingly following international auditing standards.
Amendments
The first amendment, Law No. 104 of 2012, was published in the official gazette in January 2013 and revised the Board’s governance and procedures.
Recent Developments and Criticism
The Board’s annual reports have gained political weight. Its 2025 annual report to parliament identified major delays in resolving corruption cases and widespread financial violations in several sectors. It also acknowledged that the Board missed the legal deadline for submitting the report and did not fully use its powers under Articles 14 and 15 of the law. Parliament then held a dedicated session to examine state spending, the first of its kind since 2003.
Scholars have called for reforms, including updating the law to deal with digital records and cyber risks to treasury data, and clarifying the Board’s relationship with the Kurdistan Region’s audit board and with the Integrity Commission.