Audit Office Act [Chapter 22:18] (No. 12 of 2009) Reports of Commission 9. (1) The Commission— (a) shall, as soon as possible after the 31st December in each year, submit to the Speaker of the House of Assembly an annual report upon matters dealt with by the Commission during the previous year, except such matters as the Commission may consider inexpedient to publish; and (b) may at any time submit to the Speaker of House of Assembly a special report on any matter upon which the Commission considers it desirable to report. (2) The Speaker of House of Assembly shall lay before House of Assembly on one of the fourteen days on which House of Assembly next sits after the report is received by him or her— (a) the annual report submitted to him or her in terms of subparagraph (1)(a); and (b) any special report submitted to him or her in terms of subparagraph (1)(b) which the Commission requests to be laid before House of Assembly. Validity of decisions and acts of Commission 10. (1) No decision or act of the Commission or act done under the authority of the Commission shall be invalid solely because there were one or more vacancies on the Commission when the decision was taken or the act was done or authorised. (2) If any decision or other act of the Commission is rendered invalid through a procedural irregularity, the Commission may at a duly convened meeting ratify the decision or act, and any decision or act so ratified shall be valid in all respects with effect from the date of its ratification. 1 2 3 4 5 SECOND SCHEDULE (Section 15(2)) POWERS OF AUDIT OFFICE COMMISSION To acquire premises necessary or convenient for the exercise of its functions and for that purpose to buy, take on lease or in exchange, hire or otherwise acquire immovable property and any interest therein and any rights concessions, grants, powers and privileges in respect thereof. To buy, take in exchange, hire or otherwise acquire movable property necessary or convenient for the exercise of its functions. To maintain, alter or improve property acquired by it. To mortgage any assets, or part of any assets and, with the approval of the Minister, to sell, exchange, lease, dispose of turn to account or otherwise deal with any assets or part of any assets which are not required for the exercise of its functions for such consideration as it may determine. To open bank accounts in the name of the Audit Office and to draw, make, accept, endorse, discount, execute and issue for the purposes of its functions promissory notes, bills of exchange, securities and other negotiable or transferable instruments. 6 To insure against losses, damages, risks and liabilities which it may incur. 7 To make contracts and enter into suretyships or give guarantees in connection with the exercise of its functions and to modify and rescind such contracts or rescind such suretyships or guarantees. 8 With the approval of Minister, to establish and administer such funds and reserves not specifically provided for in this Act as the Commission considers appropriate or necessary for the proper exercise of the functions of the Audit Office. To pay such remuneration and allowances and grant such leave of absence and to make such gifts, bonuses and the like to members of the Audit Office as it considers fit. 9 - 22 -