A new era has been ushered in on the African continent with the holding of the first annual conference of the African Association of Accountants General (AAAG), that took place in Maseru, Lesotho, from the 19 to 22 February 2024. The conference brought together over 1000 government officials from across the African continent and beyond. The conference, themed, “Promoting a Prosperous Africa through Integrated Public Financial Management (PFM) Governance ” aimed to address critical issues related to public financial management and governance. The event was a significant milestone for the AAAG, which is a founding partner of the African Professionalisation Initiative (API), alongside other partners – AFROSAI-E, CREFIAF and PAFA.
AAAG is a capacity-building non-profit organization that aims to build capabilities in the offices of the Accountants and Directors General responsible for budget execution and reporting for their governments. The AAAG focuses on supporting sound public financial management practices and good governance in its member countries. It brings together financial leaders, government officials, and experts in the field of public finance through events like the 1st AAAG Annual Conference. The East and Southern African Association of Accountants-General (ESAAG) is another regional association that supports the offices of Accountants-General in the region. Both organizations play crucial roles in strengthening financial governance and accountability in Africa.
Officially launched on the 6th of July 2023, AAAG was assured to be remembered for centuries as Accountants General play a crucial role in the success of public financial management reforms. The decision by the Eastern and Southern Africa Accountants General to fold and support the formation of a continental body of Accountants General, aligns with the progressive African spirit of realising prosperity through unity, inspired by the African Union Agenda 2063 aspirations. Moreover, the conception of AAAG was spearheaded by the African Union, ESAAG and the Pan African Federation of Accountants (PAFA).
