OHA Board Grants Internal Audit Extension

PC: Office of Hawaiian Affairs

The OHA Board of Trustees approved an eight-month time extension for its internal audit to provide its independent auditor sufficient time to finish its work.

“In March 2017, the OHA Board authorized an independent, internal audit of the agency as a proactive step to review our spending procedures in an effort to improve operations in furtherance of our legal mandate to better the conditions of Native Hawaiians,” OHA Chair Colette Machado said. “Yesterday’s Board action re-affirms the trustees’ commitment to this project, by providing our independent auditor with the necessary time to complete its important work.”

Trustee Dan Ahuna said, “When I became chair of the OHA Resource Management Committee in February 2019, my goal was to collaborate with my fellow trustees to maintain OHA’s positive momentum. Yesterday ’s action will close gaps in the audit monitoring that resulted in multiple delays and ensure that the audit will be completed by the end of this year.”

In September 2018, the BOT engaged an external CPA firm, CliffordLarsonAllen LLP (CLA), to conduct an independent audit of the agency and related LLCs, approving $500,000 in trust funds to audit FY12 through FY16. The original term of the contract was from Sept. 4, 2018 through April 30, 2019. Yesterday’s Board action extends the ending date of the contract to Dec. 16, 2019.