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SAO audited the Green Savings programme
Press Release – June 15, 2011
From September 2010 to February 2011, auditors from the Supreme Audit Office (SAO) performed audit operation No. 10/31 – Trading of surplus Assigned Amount Units and use of such funds received from the trading that scrutinized the sale of surplus assigned amount units (AAUs), the conditions of the Green Savings programme, and achievements of the Programme within the audited period 2009–2010. The Programme aimed at reducing CO2 emissions and achieving energy savings in the household sector.
The Green Savings programme was announced in April 2009, its implementation should be finished by the end of 2012. The Programme was intended for owners of houses and non-prefab apartment buildings, but in support area C (use of renewables for heating and hot water) the owners of prefab apartment buildings could also apply.
Adding additional types of applicants to the Programme contributed to a sharp increase in drawdown, which, combined with administration problems, led to the premature suspension of the acceptance of applications. The support should have been accessible to all applicants without vigorous alternations of the Programme until the end of programming period or until the funds were used up.
The Ministry of Environment obtained the required funds for the Programme by selling AAUs. Within the audited period, the Ministry ensured approximately CZK 19.5 milliard. However, the accepted applications claimed almost CZK 30 milliard. The total volume of requested funds not covered by AAU sales reached over CZK 10.5 milliard in spite the fact that the total amount of accepted applications had only reached 78.774 before the acceptance of applications was suspended. (During the preparation phase of the Programme, the number of applications was expected to reach 250.000.)
The administration of the Programme was affected by systematic shortcomings that led to an absence of complete and reliable information about its substantive and financial development. The administration process, which includes accepting, examining, and registration of the applications, was not continuously monitored or evaluated. The State Environmental Fund of the Czech Republic (SEF) did not respond to the weak points of the process in due time or in the corresponding ways. The administration of applications was handled by the regional offices of the SEF with five banks selected by public tender, but the cooperating banks handled the administration of applications only in a restricted extent. Contrary to the original objective, the SEF thus did not secure the entire administration through the banks.
The audit conclusion suggests several corrective measures, namely:
- the efficiency criteria of the reduction of CO2 emissions should be defined in a way that would enable the biggest possible reduction;
- the Programme should be administered and monitored in a way that makes available timely and complete information about the substantive and financial development of the Programme;
- the burden of Programme administration should be reduced;
- inspections of appropriation beneficiaries should be commenced in time;
- a single methodology should be drawn up and used to assess the efficiency of the administration of appropriation programmes with similar goals.
The audit operation was included into 2010 Audit Plan of the SAO under No. 10/31. Karel Sehoř, Member of the SAO Board, controlled the operation and prepared the audit conclusion as well.
Communication Department
Supreme Audit Office
