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Fiscal Discipline and Transparency in Public Law Legal Entities: Results of the Hellenic Court of Audit Audit Report
The Hellenic Court of Audit presents the Audit Report 3/2024, on the subject: “Fiscal discipline and transparency in public law legal entities: Are their approved annual accounts submitted to the Court of Auditors on time? What are the reasons for any delays?”
Only 1/3 of the legal entities under public law that are subject to the audit of the Court of Auditors submit their annual accounts (report and balance sheet) to it on time.
Investigating the causes of the late or non-submission of their annual accounts, the Hellenic Court of Audit audited seventy (70) legal entities under public law, including local government organizations, higher educational institutions, and hospitals, and reached the following conclusions:
1. Long delays in preparing the balance sheet: A lack of personnel with the necessary accounting knowledge for the implementation of the double-entry bookkeeping system and the preparation of the balance sheet was noted. Furthermore, deficiencies in information systems make it difficult to prepare financial statements, as is the case with the Public Employment Service (formerly OAED), which, for a period exceeding a decade, has not had approved financial statements.ισολογισμούς.
2. The preparation of balance sheets and their audit is assigned to external partners and certified auditors after many years have passed since the end of the financial year. The execution of the relevant contracts is not systematically monitored by the bodies. This delay also drags down the subsequent stages of the procedure, making it impossible to approve the accounts within the legal deadlines.
3. Delays in the approval stage of the accounts by the relevant bodies, especially when a deficit is identified. Delays are exacerbated when the financial statements are subject to successive approvals, for which there is no detailed timetable, by bodies supervising the legal entity.
4. Complete lack of accountability and failure to submit approved financial statements by legal entities, including EOPYY, e-EFKA and OPEKA, due to non-finalization of the financial data (compilation and approval of financial statements) of the entities that joined them. The inability to prepare their accounts has not been effectively addressed to date despite the continuous legislative extensions of the relevant deadline.
The relevant Report also includes the Hellenic Court of Audit recommendations to the audited entities for their compliance with the audit findings.
For more information, the report is available on the official website of the Hellenic Court of Audit. ΕΔΩ