The Office of the Virgin Islands Inspector General, formerly the Virgin Islands Bureau of Audit and Control, was created on December 14, 1999, with the passage by the Virgin Islands Legislature of Act 6333. As a separate, independent agency of the Government of the Virgin Islands, the Virgin Islands Inspector General’s Office functions as the major auditing arm of the Government. Act 6333 gave the Virgin Islands Inspector General’s Office the added responsibility of:
- Conducting audits, inspections, and investigations of programs and operations of the Virgin Islands Government;
- Providing leadership in coordinating and recommending policies to promote economy, efficiency, and effectiveness in the operations of the Virgin Islands Government;
- Investigating and recommending policies to prevent fraud, waste and abuse;
- Referring criminal conduct to the Attorney General for criminal action; and,
- Bringing monetary losses to the attention of the Attorney General for appropriate recovery by civil suit.
The audit and investigative authority of the Virgin Islands Inspector General’s Office extends to all three branches of the Virgin Islands Government, including the semi-autonomous and autonomous instrumentalities. The law requires that audits be performed in accordance with standards established by the United States General Accounting Office (currently United States Government Accountability Office) and the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants.