CCI: Call on the FBiH Parliament to Oblige Institutions to Implement Audit Reports

SARAJEVO, (Patria) - The Centers of Civic Initiatives (CCI) call on the FBiH Parliament's Audit Committee to use all available mechanisms at today's session regarding the follow-up on audit reports, and to adopt a Report with conclusions that would oblige the audited institutions to implement audit recommendations and continuously report on achieved results.

The session was scheduled after the Committee heard representatives of 41 audited institutions that received a negative or qualified opinion on their financial statements and/or compliance with laws. 

The hearings and further proceedings of the competent Committee and the FBiH Parliament relate to audit reports on the work of institutions for 2020, whose publication the FBiH Audit Office began in May 2021. Auditors identified a significant number of omissions and non-compliance with laws in the work of public institutions and the spending of public money. Practice has shown that institutions, when serious public oversight is absent, almost never implement all received recommendations (the total implementation rate of audit recommendations does not exceed 40%), the Centers of Civic Initiatives stated.

The rules governing the work of public institutions should apply equally to all, and in case of identified irregularities, action should be taken urgently and omissions, which directly harm the interests of citizens because they involve the spending of public money, should be rectified in the shortest possible time. Non-compliance with audit recommendations should also raise the issue of accountability of those who manage public institutions and spend public money. 

Stopping the bad practice of a low rate of implementation of audit recommendations lies with the competent Parliamentary Committee and the FBiH Parliament, which have certain mechanisms at their disposal to act and protect public money. They need to react in a timely manner and activate, if necessary, the sanctions available to them, i.e., to do everything necessary to bring the work of public institutions back within the framework of prescribed rules and procedures. 

Due to the current dynamics of the competent Committee's proceedings on audit reports, the audit reports of the 41 mentioned institutions will reach the FBiH Parliament eight months after the publication of the first audit reports.

"Given that institutional budgets are being adopted during this period, it is necessary to consider Audit Reports in the FBiH Parliament as soon as possible so that the audit findings and the findings of the competent Committee are aligned with future institutional budgets and public spending. For this reason, it is necessary, starting from the announced Committee session, for the Committee and the FBiH Parliament to adapt their actions to the current attitude of public institutions towards audit recommendations, ensure timely response, and be ready for the new cycle of audit reports expected in May 2022," CCI states.

The project "More Effective Public Audit for Reducing Corruption in Bosnia and Herzegovina" is implemented by the Centers of Civic Initiatives (CCI) with financial support from Sweden. The project aims to contribute to more responsible spending of budget funds and the reduction of corruption in public institutions in BiH.