Audit on the use of Renewable Energy Sources conducted by the National Audit Office shows that Lithuania has every possibility by 2020 to produce 20 percent of its energy from renewable energy sources as required by the European Commission. This would provide conditions for producing cheaper electricity and heat and increasing country’s energetic independence. “However achievement of the envisaged goal is hampered by the inability to ensure complex use of renewable energy sources. We are like swan, crab and pike from a well-known Russian fable who are trying to pull a cab into one’s own direction”, said Deputy Auditor General Mr Viktoras Švedas.  Read more

To achieve greater efficiency of performance, to improve public audit quality, to increase audit impact the National Audit Office is launching the project “Improvement of the National Audit Office performance by introducing quality management methods”. “The National Audit Office is striving to constantly optimise its activities and to use budget funds effectively. Besides, this year we are starting to develop Public Audit Strategy for 2011–2015, therefore it is important for us to hear external evaluators’ opinion on the quality of our work and to anticipate means to improve our performance”, said the Auditor General Ms Rasa Budbergytė speaking about the project goals.

The project will focus on the evaluation of institution performance by applying Lean quality management method, on external review of public audits, on recommendations on improving the performance of the National Audit Office and efficiency of its audits. Read more

The Auditor General Ms Rasa Budbergytė approved the Public Audit Programme 2010 which is mostly focussed on evaluation of developing a competitive economy. According to Ms Budbergytė in the context of economic crisis it is necessary not only to look for new possibilities to more effectively use public finance and other assets but also relying on existing means to promote business development and increase its competitiveness.

This year auditors will finish 14 performance audits and provide conclusions and recommendations concerning protection of freedom of fair competition, development of small and medium businesses, territorial planning, organisation of territorial management and other issues relating to promotion of competitiveness. Read more

“Lithuania having joined the Schengen Area state border control system was not properly adjusted”, – said the Auditor General Ms Rasa Budbergytė evaluating results of the audit conducted in the State Border Guard Service (SBGS). According to Ms Budbergytė SBGS distributed border guards ineffectively at the internal and external borders, did not use funds sparingly, the number of unauthorised border crossings increased when offenders are not apprehended. “It were possible to avoid most of the problems if reform implementers had a clear vision on how European Union internal border controls should have been adjusted after Lithuania have joined the Schengen Area”, stressed the Auditor General. Read more

“State institutions spend a lot of money on procurement, management and security of information systems however increasingly more doubts arise as to whether they bring the expected benefits, if systems are managed properly and data in the systems are well protected”, said the Auditor General Ms Rasa Budbergytė when presenting the audit report on Management of Information Systems at the Central Electoral Commission. According to Ms Budbergytė information systems audits conducted by the National Audit Office so far have revealed not only the common problems that most of the state institutions are facing but also their unwillingness or incapability to tackle them. The fact that the Law on Management of the State Information Resources has not been adopted yet does not contribute to the solution of this problem. Read more