Ministries stick to austerity measures, but there are exceptions: gift watches and language lessons for tens of thousands, legal advices for millions
Press Release – July 30, 2012
During auditing operation No. 11/34, auditors from the Supreme Audit Office (SAO) scrutinized the state budget funds in the amount of CZK 95.7 million, which were utilized by the Ministry of Culture, the Ministry of Health, and the Ministry of Justice for material purchases, gifts, legal advices, and other services within the period 2010–2011.
The audit aimed at language lessons provided for the employees of the audited ministries. In 2010, over CZK 1 million were spent on individual language lessons for 20 employees of the Ministry of Health, in 2011 the same amount was spent on lessons for 18 employees. According to the Ministry’s budget, these funds made two thirds of the amounts earmarked for language education of the whole staff.
Auditors expressed doubts concerning purchases of legal advices too. The Ministry of Justice spent CZK 25.5 million for legal advices related the PPP project of prison construction in Rapotice. Yet no construction works were initiated when the project was terminated in 2011.
The SAO aimed at purchases of materials and scrutinized expenses of vehicle fleet maintenance and office stationery supplies. Auditors were surprised at amounts spent on these services the Ministry of Justice. On average, the Ministry purchased 25 printing paper packages for one employee in 2010. There are 500 sheets in each package.
The audit also aimed at expenses of refreshments and gifts. In 2009 and 2010, the Ministry of Justice purchased 34 gift watches worth CZK 393 000. The Ministry gave away 20 gift watches before the end of the auditing operation, but it was not possible to determine to whom.
In spite of the above mentioned alarming findings, the audited bodies mostly followed the austerity measures as the amounts utilized for expenditures related to purchases of services and materials have decreased. For example, the ministries succeeded to negotiate lower costs of cleaning services than average prices mentioned in the statistical analysis of consumer prices published by the Czech Statistical Office.
For further details about the auditing operation No. 11/34 (in Czech only), see the following link: http://www.nku.cz/assets/media/informace-11-34.pdf (pdf 217 kB).
Communication Department
Supreme Audit Office