By Zambian Economist Analyst
The Office of the Auditor General (OAG) is exhibiting at this year’s 98th Zambia Agricultural and Commercial Show, running at the Show Grounds in Lusaka under the theme “Fostering Trade and Investment.”
Showgoers and members of the public are invited to visit the OAG stand and engage directly with staff to learn more about the role public sector auditing plays in promoting transparency, accountability and good governance in Zambia.
Visitors to the stand will be able to access the Office’s published audit reports and see how its work feeds into strengthening public financial management, building investor confidence, and supporting the country’s broader development agenda, themes that align closely with this year’s show theme of trade and investment.
The OAG’s presence follows a similar move by the Emoluments Commission of Zambia, which is also exhibiting at this year’s show to engage the public on its own constitutional mandate. Together, the two stands give showgoers a rare direct line to two of the institutions responsible for keeping public spending accountable: the OAG through independent auditing of how public funds are spent, and the Emoluments Commission through oversight of public sector remuneration.
Public auditing rarely makes for exciting news, but it’s one of the more consequential jobs in government. By examining how ministries, provinces, agencies and state-owned enterprises use public resources, the OAG’s reports give citizens, Parliament and investors an independent check on whether public money is being managed as intended. That kind of scrutiny, and the wider accountability infrastructure it sits alongside, is increasingly cited by analysts as part of what investors weigh when assessing a country’s institutional strength, alongside more visible indicators like inflation, the exchange rate and copper output.
For a show built around trade and investment, a stand explaining how Zambia holds its own public finances to account fits naturally alongside the exhibitors pitching products, technology and services. It’s a chance for the OAG to make an often-technical mandate tangible to an audience well beyond the accounting profession: farmers, entrepreneurs, students and the general public among them.
The Office of the Auditor General’s stand will be open for the remainder of the show. Visitors are encouraged to stop by, ask questions, and learn firsthand how independent public auditing contributes to building a stronger and more prosperous Zambia.
Related OAG engagement: OAG helps showgoers access audit reports and understand its mandate.
