Control actions are in full swing. The auditors inspect over 400 subjects

Control actions are in full swing. The auditors inspect over 400 subjects

The Supreme Audit Office of the Slovak Republic in Bratislava issued a report on earlier preparation of the plan of control actions. The inspections included in the 2019 plan have been generated by the Office since the beginning of 2018 in the form of suggestions and expert topics. These were further elaborated into control projects in terms of risk analyzes. Emphasis was placed mainly on the economic and social impacts of individual public policies.

What's the plan?

The plan includes 70 audit action topics, 22 audit action projects and 25 topics included in the audit action plan to be implemented by the end of this year.

"The aforementioned 25 auditing actions involve the inspection of a total of 440 entities in the field", said Karol Mitrík (Chairman of the SAO SR).

Higher territorial units, state-owned enterprises, public utility services in the region or GDPR and even the protection of personal data are subject to planned inspections.

Within the projects, control activities were also planned over the computerization of the school education system, the thermal management, the digitization of cultural monuments and electronic services of the state.

What is being checked?

Audit actions focus mainly on topical issues related to toll collection, MH management, use of business flats, anti-dumping duties, collection and administration of premiums, and last but not least the implementation of GDPR and the protection of personal data in practice. When assessing the significance of the topic, the fulfillment of Slovakia's obligations to international institutions (EU, UN, NATO, etc.) was also taken into account.

In addition to these topics, subsidies for cultural monuments and utilities in the region are also subject to control. These include the Office of the President of the Slovak Republic, water companies, the Central Office of Labour, Social Affairs and Family.

This year, because of negative findings from the past in the operation of state-owned enterprises, businesses operating in the agriculture and environmental sectors are also being screened, in particular with a view to implementing business development concepts.

The proposed audit actions are primarily aimed at verifying that the implemented public policies and government programs are achieving their objectives. In addition, the added value is examined in terms of sustainability, but also in terms of compliance with certain regularities and economy in selected state and public administration entities.

Some audits focus exclusively on performance audits and some carry out so-called combined audits, which means not only the valid legislation but also the cost-effectiveness, efficiency and effectiveness of the use of public funds by the entity subject to the audit.

The Supreme Audit Office also plans to prepare an opinion for the National Council of the Slovak Republic on the state closing account for 2018, and at the same time to prepare an opinion on the draft state budget for 2020.

As part of its analytical work, the Office intends to continue monitoring the implementation of key measures for the sustainable development of the UN 2030 agenda or binding Europe 2020 indicators such as sustainability of urban life, promoting science, research, innovation and eGovernment.