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Contralora seeks discretion to set audit schedules but keeps three-year maximum
Summary
Carmen Vega said Proyecto del Senado 80 would let the Comptroller set audit frequency based on risk, with a statutory maximum interval of three years; the office argued discretion would allow auditors to concentrate on higher-risk agencies and cited plans to reorganize audit teams and recruit new staff.
Carmen Vega told the commission she supports Proyecto del Senado 80, which would amend the statute governing audits of the Oficina de Ética Gubernamental to let the Contraloría determine frequency according to annual plans, subject to a maximum interval of three years.
Vega said the change is intended to let the office allocate audit resources to higher-risk entities (for example, agencies with large budgets or frequent transactions) rather than spending staff capacity auditing lower-risk units every year. She described a reorganization that would specialize audit teams by subject matter (contracts, capital projects, human resources, etc.) to improve efficiency.
Committee members asked whether the change could reduce the capacity to detect irregularities. Vega responded that the office already uses a triennial plan and that discretion would permit more frequent audits of higher-risk entities; she also recommended consulting the Office of Ethics to solicit its input on the proposed three-year maximum because some stakeholders prefer a different cadence.
Vega described workforce measures to sustain audit capacity: the office has roughly 350 auditors, has internship agreements with universities and plans to add roughly 50 new auditors while expecting about 50 retirements over five years.
No committee vote was held; members requested that the commission invite the Ethics office for comment and asked the Contraloría to supply more detail on the planning and monitoring process.
