Auditor General Charles Deguara said, in the NAO's annual report for 2016, that the NAO is concerned that some of its recommendations are not taken on board, with the result that some findings tend to be repetitive year after year.

"These findings deal mainly with procurement issues, insufficient internal controls, deficiencies in contract provisions regulating public services, shortcomings in contract management, absence of value for money and lack of transparency and accountability."

The NAO, he said, thus intends to strengthen its follow up process to ensure, as far as possible, the timely and efficient implementation of its recommendations.

"Nonetheless, we welcomed as an important step forward the Administration's report on the status of implementation of our recommendations made in the Annual Audit Report on Public Accounts for 2014.  This analysis could provide the necessary stimulus for the authorities concerned in undertaking the necessary action to address administrative shortcomings identified by this Office."

The Report, which this year is produced in a revamped user-friendly format thanks to an internal editorial team led by Noel Camilleri, Deputy Auditor General, essentially provides an outline of the NAO's performance and key achievements for the year 2016 as well as Management's plans, to address the current challenges being faced by the Office. It refers to the various NAO publications throughout 2016, which included Financial and Compliance, Performance, Special and Investigative, and IT Audit Reports.

An account is given of the NAO's interaction with the Public Accounts Committee and NAO Accounts Committee of the House of Representatives throughout 2016. Furthermore, ongoing cooperation with other institutions, such as the Government Administration, other Auditors, University of Malta, Media, Civil Society, and participation in Committees, is also referred to.

The Report highlights the main local and overseas meetings in which NAO senior officials actively participated. Overseas events included participation at the EU Network of Supreme Audit Institutions (the EU Contact Committee) Meetings as well as the XXII International Organisation of Supreme Audit Institutions (INCOSAI) Congress held last December in Abu Dhabi.

As of this year, this publication encorporates the Audited Financial Statements of the National Audit Office.