Veterinary administration institutions failed to follow regulations when managing the state property
Press Release – December 23, 2009
From February to September 2009, auditors from the Supreme Audit Office (SAO) performed an audit of financial resources spent on activities of the veterinary administrations and services within the period 2007–2008, namely expenses on animal welfare and protection programmes, and scrutinized their management of the state property. Auditors concluded that Ministry of Agriculture as well as veterinary administrations and services had failed to follow the valid regulations.
Among the audited bodies were State Veterinary Administration, regional veterinary administrations, state veterinary institutions in Prague, České Budějovice, Hradec Králové, Jihlava, and Olomouc; and the Institute for State Control of Veterinary Biologicals and Medicines. Auditors focused on administration of the Programme of development and reconstruction of material and technical bases of Ministry of Agriculture, which had been funded from the state budget.
“In some cases, the Ministry violated budgetary rules and regulations when administering the Programme when including ventures without approved investment projects. The Ministry failed to define technical and economical parameters of the projects. Project assessments only consisted of financial aspects, pre-set parameters’ achievements were not taken account of“, said president of the SAO František Dohnal.
In spite the Ministry consigned the funds only for certain activities e.g. animal welfare and protection, the State Veterinary Administration provided financial resources to state veterinary institutions above their assigned operational frame.
“Veterinary administration institutions violated the Accountancy Act and failed to take proper accounts of the properties and their statements of balances showed inaccurate property statuses. The accounted property could not be compared to its factual status even during inventories. Veterinary administration institutions also violated the Act on state property when managing redundant property and administering receivables from the budget”, said Dohnal.
Within the audited period 2007–2008, the Ministry administered the Programme only as a matter of form and provided non-investment resources that had to be included into current expenses of the state budget chapter 329 – Ministry of Agriculture. The Ministry did not amend the projects’ documentations or define actual objectives for utilization of the resources in the Programme documentation.
The auditing operation was included into 2009 Audit Plan of the SAO under No. 09/04. Jiří Kalivoda, Member of the SAO Board, controlled the operation and prepared the audit report as well.
Bc. Radka Burketová
Press Speaker
Supreme Audit Office