President of the SAO with representatives from the Senate visited Slovakia and Austria

PRESS RELEASE - 20.10.2015

From October 12 to 15, 2015, President of the Supreme Audit Office Mr. Miloslav Kala and representatives from the Committee on Public Administration, Regional Development, and the Environment of the Senate of the Parliament of the Czech Republic visited the Slovak Republic and the Republic of Austria. The delegation from the Senate was led by Mr. Miloš Vystrčil who currently serves as Chairperson of the Committee on Public Administration, Regional Development, and the Environment of the Czech Senate. The delegation aimed at learning about audits of public budgets carried out by supreme audit institutions in selected countries, namely at municipalities, what demands are made on audited bodies, and in which ways the audited municipalities utilize the audit outcomes. Meetings were held in relation to the current move to extend auditing competences of the Supreme Audit Office of the Czech Republic.

Delegates also met President of the Slovak supreme audit institution Mr. Karol Mitrík, with Chaiman of the Committee on Public Administration and Regional Development of the Slovak National Council Mr. Igor Choma, with representatives of the union of municipalities in Slovakia, the union of Slovak towns and municipalities, Vice-mayor of the Municipality of the Capital of the Slovak Republic, Bratislava, and other municipal representatives. Main topics on the meeting agenda were experiences of town mayors and other local representatives with auditing of public budgets. The Slovak supreme audit institution – unlike the Supreme Audit Office of the Czech Republic – has been performing these audits since 2006.

Meetings and discussions were held at the Austrian Court of Audit with its Director of the section aimed at audits of Austrian Lands and municipalities Mr. Viktor Cypris, delegates from the union of Austrian municipalities (Gemeindebund), and with mayors of municipalities Ried and Retz. The Czech delegation was also welcomed by President of the Austrian Federal Council Mr. Gottfried Kneifel and Ambassador of the Czech Republic in Austria Mr. Jan Sechter. The Austrian Court of Auditors has been performing audits of municipalities since 1950’s, at first at municipalities with more than 20,000 inhabitants, while municipalities with more than 10,000 inhabitants have been audited since 2011.

Municipal representatives of both countries appreciated the supreme audit institutions’ auditors, namely their professional skills, independency, their guidance and advice, and the opportunity to consult audit outcomes, which makes it possible to compare individual municipalities.

Among topics discussed by participants of the event were experiences with disclosing tender agreements and other documents of municipalities in both countries.

International Relations Department
Supreme Audit Office

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