Ensuring transparency and forming the foundation for sound decision making, high quality financial information is essential to good government. The requirement for Chief Financial Officers (CFOs) to submit an annual Letter of Certification was introduced in 2010 as part of a series of initiatives designed to provide greater assurance to agency heads as to the quality of financial information and reporting.

The Treasury policy Certifying the Effectiveness of Internal Controls over Financial Information (TPP17-06):

  • formalises requirements for completion and submission of a CFO Letter of Certification concerning the effectiveness of internal controls over financial information; and
  • provides guidance about the fundamental elements that contribute to an effective system of internal control over agency financial information and the process for assessing that effectiveness (including design effectiveness and operating effectiveness) of that system.

The policy includes a copy of the certification template and is available at the above link.

Last updated: 04/02/2021