CURRENT STATE OF INTERNAL AUDIT IN COMMERCIAL BANKS OF UZBEKISTAN: AN EMPIRICAL ANALYSIS OF SYSTEMIC CHALLENGES
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.21532930Keywords:
internal audit, commercial banks, audit coverage, implementation of recommendations, international standards, compliance, audit resources, empirical analysis.Abstract
Based on data from eight leading commercial banks in Uzbekistan, this article provides an
empirical assessment of the state of internal audit during 2020–2024. It examines organisational capacity, audit
coverage, the implementation of recommendations, the dynamics of identified deficiencies, and the level of
compliance with the relevant domains of international standards. Alongside the progress observed, the findings
identify several systemic challenges, including resource constraints, partial implementation of the risk-based
approach, limited digitalisation, and insufficient development of quality assurance programmes. Based on the
results, recommendations are proposed for commercial banks and the supervisory authority to support the
alignment of internal audit practices with international standards.
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