State budget funds earmarked for phasing out of mining
Press release on completion of the auditing operation No. 06/06
The auditing operation was included in the Annual Audit Plan of the Supreme Audit Office (hereinafter referred to as “SAO”) for the year 2006 under No. 06/06. The auditing operation was managed and the audit conclusion drawn up by Mr. Petr Skála, the Member of the SAO.
The aim of the auditing operation was to examine providing, drawing and using of the state budget funds earmarked for the phasing out of mining and check out implementing of measures taken to remedy earlier ascertained shortcomings.
The audit covered the period since 2002 by the end of the auditing operation as well as previous periods in certain cases of relevant connections.
The audited bodies were the Ministry of Industry and Trade (hereinafter referred to as "MIT"), the DIAMO, state enterprise, Stráž pod Ralskem (hereinafter referred to as "DIAMO"), Fuel Combine Ústí, state enterprise, Ústí nad Labem (hereinafter referred to as "FCU").
Since the commencement of phasing out of mining, the state budget provided CZK 71 billion up to 2005 and it is expected to spend further CZK 130 billion by the and of the programme in 2040. During the audited period, the MIT provided and beneficiaries drew out funds in accordance with the set conditions of the phasing out of mining programme and with legal regulations. The SAO found out some partial shortcomings and the MIT committed oneself to remove them in 2007.
In comparison with the state ascertained in recent auditing operations, there was a qualitative shift aimed in implementation of phasing out. Number of localities, where has been phasing out paid from the state budget, was not extended more and the strategic programme objective was structured into partial targets. Their implementation depends on the volume of available funds; hence the targets were worked out in several versions.
The volume of funds for the phasing out programme is in the MIT’s respect sufficient for works necessary to avoid environmental accidents and protect buildings and grounds; on the other hand, it cannot satisfy realization of all measures, there is a risk of postponing of the phasing out programme end from 2040 to 2050. Unliquidated and unnecessary objects demand annual costs in an amount about CZK 30 million. MPO adopted measures to privatise unnecessary buildings and grounds, but about more than half of them remained without any demand and will having to be liquidated with additional financial costs.