NAOT History

Tanzania before and after independence

The history of the Office goes hand in hand with the history of the country. Following the decision of the Berlin Conference in the year 1885, the territory of what is now referred as Tanzania Main land, was allocated to the German. In the year 1897, German East Africa was formally established as a colony of German.  The German occupied until they were defeated in the first world war in the year 1919. Through the treaty of Versailles of 1919, the British were granted a League of Nations mandate to govern the former German East Africa - which now acquired a new name of Tanganyika. The United Kingdom held Tanganyika in the mandate of league of nation until the end of the Second World War.  From the year 1946, the territory held as a United Nations Trust Territory.

 In December, 1961, Tanganyika Territory gained its independence from the United Kingdom. It became a republic a year later but stayed in the British Commonwealth of nations. Tanganyika now forms part of the modern day state of the United Republic of Tanzania after the union between it and Zanzibar on 26^th  April, 1964.

The Colonial Audit service

Before 1^st October, 1954, the organ overseeing the audit service within the British Colonial Territories was known as Colonial Audit Service. Later on the service was designated and known as the Overseas Audit Services. The Overseas Audit Services comprised of all officers of the former Colonial Audit Service and all persons appointed by the Secretary of State to serve the Overseas Audit Service on or after the 1^st October, 1954. The head of Overseas Audit Service was designated and known as Director General of the Overseas Audit Service. The headquarters of the service was based in England at Queen Anne’s Chambers, Dean Farrar Street, London, England.

The Director General was responsible to the Secretary of State for the control of the service and supervision of the audit of all public accounts in the colonial territories where the audit was placed under his direction.

The territories including Tanganyika Territory were known as territories within the Overseas Audit System. Officers of the Audit Service were selected for appointment, promotion and secondment to the post other than their substantive appointment by Secretary of State after the recommendation of the Director General of the Overseas Audit Service.

All employment matters of all officers of the Audit Service were governed by the directions of the Secretary of State that were given in accordance with the applicable General Instructions and Rules of the Overseas Audit Department.

During that time, the scheme of service was categorized into three major ranks namely; European Pension Scheme (Officers rank), Asian Pension Scheme (Examiners of Accounts) and African Pension Scheme (Audit Clerks).

Evolution of the office

During British Colonialism and soon before independence of Tanganyika, the Office performing functions that are now done by the National Audit Office was called “the Audit Department”. It was part of the British Overseas Audit Services based in London, England.

The head of this office was called the Director of Audit as per the Audit Ordinance CAP 86  governed  audit activities since 1957. By  then the office had only one office located in Dar es Salaam at Kivukoni Front Street. It was responsible for  audit of  the accounts of the whole government as the Government management system was centralized.

The first branch to be opened in the country was Arusha Audit Branch; the main auditee of this branch was the Tanganyika Custodian of the Enemy Property Department based in Arusha. This department was established by the British Colony manage abandoned properties  (all homes, estates, businesses and infrastructures) which formerly belonged to the Germans  after their victory over the Germany colonialists  in the First World War.

The Office continued to expand itself, whereby in 1959 it had four stations Dar es Salaam being the headquarter and three upcountry stations which were Mwanza, Tanga and Arusha.

On the 1^st  July, 1961, four months and eight days before the independence of Tanganyika, the Exchequer and Audit Ordinance of 1961 came into force. This law changed the name of the Audit Department to the Exchequer and Audit Department. The Ordinance changed the name of the head of the Audit Department to become the Controller and Auditor General (CAG).

The mandate of the CAG was enshrined under Article 73 of the Constitution of Tanganyika that came into force immediately before the 9^th December, 1961. The main duties of the CAG and his office were Controllership and Auditing; where by the Controllership duty was exclusively the CAG’s duty. These duties were further expounded in the Exchequer and Audit Ordinance of 1961.

 In 1962 the Republican Constitution of Tanganyika was adopted. This marked the beginning of the Presidential system of government whereby the Presidential powers as head of state and the government that were previously the powers of Governor General and the Prime Minister in the former constitution were merged. The power to appoint the Controller and Auditor General was vested into to the President.

On 9th July 1965, the Interim Constitution of Tanzania was enacted and came into force. This constitution was further followed by the Constitution of the United Republic of Tanzania of 1977 which is the current Constitution. All these constitutions provided for the mandate, responsibilities and independence of the CAG.

In 2001, following the growth of the country’s economy and the need for further control of the use of public moneys, the Exchequer and Audit Ordinance, 1961 was repealed and replaced by the Public Finance Act, No. 6 of 2001 (revised 2004) which continued to expound more on the functions, responsibilities and powers of the CAG.

This law changed the name Exchequer and Audit Department to the present National Audit Office of Tanzania and provided considerable details on the audit function.

In the year, 2008 the government realizing the need to have comprehensive legislations that provide audit of public resources and enhanced accountability proposed to the parliament for enactment of the Public Audit legislation consistent with International Proclamations on independence and operations of the Supreme Audit Institutions. In the year 2008, the Parliament enacted the Public Audit Act, No. 11 of 2008.This was followed by progumulation of the Public Audit Regulations, 2009 (G.N. 47 of 2009).

This law governs the operations of the National Audit Office and is largely consistent with international proclamations of Supreme audit institutions independence as it stipulates appointment and tenure of the CAG; retirement age of the CAG. The law has widened the scope of the audit performed by CAG, operational independence provided for Auditing Standards to be used including recognition of international audit standards, financial independence. The law set up accountability structure including auditing of its  operations and appointment of its External Auditor.