Under section 57 of the Financial Management and Accountability Act 1997 (FMA Act) the Auditor-General is required to report each year to the relevant Minister, on whether the financial statements of agencies have been prepared in accordance with the Finance Minister's Orders (FMOs) and whether they give a true and fair view of the matters required by those Orders.

Our interim audits of agencies encompass a review of governance arrangements related to agencies' financial reporting responsibilities, and an examination of relevant internal controls, including information technology system controls. An examination of such issues is designed to assess the reliance that can be placed on internal controls to produce complete and accurate information for financial reporting purposes.

This report summarises the final results of the audits of the financial statements of Commonwealth entities, forming the second report this year on financial statement audits for the period ended 30 June 2000. It complements Audit Report No.52 1999-2000 Control Structures as Part of the Audits of Financial Statements of Major Commonwealth Agencies for the Period Ended 30 June 2000. The report is in three parts:

• Part One of the report is a commentary on the structure and status of the new financial framework, focusing on the quality and timeliness of the preparation of the annual financial statements;
• Part Two discusses the summary final results of the audits of the financial statements, providing details regarding qualifications and any matters emphasised in audit reports; and
• Part Three provides the results of the individual financial statement audits and any additional significant control issues identified since Audit Report No.52.

This Report brings together the results of the audits of the financial statements of all Commonwealth organisations (that is, agencies and statutory authorities), including the Commonwealth Government of Australia consolidated financial statements for the period ended 30 June 1999.