Press Releases

29.5.2023

More than CZK 48 billion paid out as compensation for COVID-19 restrictions served its purpose. However, some beneficiaries abused the compensation bonus

The Supreme Audit Office verified how the Ministry of Finance, the General Financial Directorate and three selected tax offices handled state funds earmarked for paying out the compensation bonus, particularly to self-employed persons, who were banned or restricted by the State to carry out their business activity due to the COVID-19 pandemic between the years 2020 and 2022.

22.5.2023

A total of CZK 5.1 billion spent on disaster management: due to the hesitation of the Ministry of the Interior, the police did not purchase necessary equipment

The Supreme Audit Office verified how the Ministry of Regional Development, the Ministry of the Interior and nine selected beneficiaries spent funds from the European Union and the state budget earmarked to increase the preparedness for addressing and managing risks and disasters.

15.5.2023

The SAO reviewed automobiles of the Army of the Czech Republic: obsolete vehicles, delayed purchases and inefficient spending on repairs

The Supreme Audit Office examined how the Ministry of Defence handled State budget funds earmarked for automobiles of the Army of the Czech Republic between the years 2018 and 2022.

9.5.2023

Modernisation of the D1 motorway cost CZK 28.1 billion: potholes on the roadway, poor quality repairs, bridges and overpasses in a state endangering traffic safety

The SAO reviewed the modernisation of the D1 motorway on a 160.8 km long section between the towns Mirošovice and Kývalka, which was to bring improvements in safety and comfort for users.

24.4.2023

Nature conservation for more than 6 billion: a number of mistakes, targets with no chance of being met or the Ministry failed to register the pre-emptive right to buy land

The SAO audited how the Ministry of the Environment and the Agency for Nature and Landscape Protection managed State and European Union funds intended for nature and landscape conservation and care between 2019 and 2021.

3.4.2023

SAO Annual Report: The Czech Republic is burdened by the state budget deficit and by the increasing pace of debt growth, however the state continues to waste public funds

The Supreme Audit Office (SAO) issued its annual report for 2022. Apart from summarising the findings of 33 audits, it also describes the main problems in the management of public funds in the Czech Republic.

27.3.2023

The system of protection of the population in the Czech Republic has a number of fundamental shortcomings, people are not sufficiently informed, masks and shelters are lacking

The SAO verified state budget funds earmarked between 2015 and 2021 for the preparation and provision of the system of protection of the population, which includes in particular warning systems, evacuation, providing shelter and emergency survival of the population.

20.3.2023

Subsidies for gender audits: funds spent to reduce the gender gap in the labour market have not served their purpose

The SAO examined the use of subsidies earmarked for so-called gender audits between the years 2014 and 2021 and the implementation of their recommendations.

13.3.2023

Electronic motorway vignettes lead to a reduction of annual costs by CZK 120 million on average, but the Ministry of Transport did not reach an optimal condition

The Supreme Audit Office verified how the Ministry of Transport, the State Fund for Transport Infrastructure and the state-owned enterprise CENDIS manage funds earmarked for the preparation, construction, operation and development of the Electronic Motorway Vignette System (so called EDAZ).

20.2.2023

Management of frozen and encumbered assets: inconsistent record-keeping, management and valuation, maintenance errors, delayed sales

The SAO carried out an audit of state funds spent between 2015 and 2020 on the management of assets frozen, encumbered, seized, forfeited and sold in criminal and tax proceedings.

Child during online learning (autor Arthurhidden - Freepik.com)

13.2.2023

Support for digital education cost CZK 8.2 billion. In practice, it has had only limited effects. The COVID-19 pandemic has helped to accelerate the digitalisation in schools

The SAO examined how the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports and the National Pedagogical Institute of the Czech Republic spent state and EU funds to support digital education between 2019 and 2021.

6.2.2023

Billions of EU subsidies have contributed to improving the quality of healthcare in the regions. However, some hospitals purchased unnecessarily expensive or redundant equipment

The SAO examined how the Ministry of Regional Development and the Centre for Regional Development of the Czech Republic spent EU funds from the ‘Integrated Regional Operational Programme’ and funds from the State budget on aid for regional healthcare infrastructure between the years 2014 and 2022.

9.1.2023

Financial aid for the processing of agricultural products: the state mainly subsidised large enterprises with profits of up to hundreds of millions Czech crowns

The SAO reviewed how the Ministry of Agriculture and the State Agricultural Intervention Fund treated state and EU funds spent on the processing of agricultural products, between the years 2018 and 2021.

12.12.2022

The prices for calls and mobile data in the Czech Republic are one of the highest in Europe. Frequency auctions did not lead to a reduction of the prices.

The SAO focused on how the Czech Telecommunication Office handled state funds and property between the years 2018 and 2022.

28.11.2022

The Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs provided almost CZK 9 billion in aid for families. However, an overview of how these funds actually helped the persons in need is lacking.

The SAO focused on auditing the funds spent by the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs (MoLSA) from the state budget and EU funds on family policy aid.

7.11.2022

Lacking progress in the computerization of the justice system. The Ministry of Justice uses outdated information systems

The SAO verified whether the Ministry of Justice and the Probation and Mediation Service managed state and EU funds economically, efficiently and effectively in the years 2016 to 2021

19.10.2022

The Czech Republic, when using European subsidies, sets targets incorrectly and is not able to evaluate the real benefits of support

Today, the SAO issued a report on the financial management of EU funds in the Czech Republic, the so-called EU Report.

17.10.2022

Subsidies for industrial research: the economic benefits of the support remain far below expectations, the MoIT also reimbursed disproportionately high personnel costs

The SAO examined how the state budget money intended for targeted support of industrial research, development and innovation was distributed.

10.10.2022

The fourth edition of the Hackathon unveiled applications useful to both civil servants and the general public

The fourth edition of the Hackathon of the Public Administration took place on Friday and Saturday, 7-8 October, at the headquarters of the Supreme Audit Office in Prague.

3.10.2022

The handling of claims for compensation is slow. Half of the claims was settled by the Ministry of Justice only after a six-month statutory deadline

The SAO focused on how the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) spent funds on compensations of unlawful decisions or maladministration between the years 2016 and 2021.