DRI identifies state budget irregularities

BELGRADE The State Audit Institution (DRI) released on Thursday that the control of budget fund management identified irregularities worth RSD 13.1 billion in 2012. Auditor General Radoslav Sretenovic stated at a news conference on Thursday that this year's DRI report covers public revenues to the total value of RSD 2,311 billion and that the control covered the financial reports of 56 budget beneficiaries. DRI identifies state budget irregularities The 13.1 billion relates to the state budget, while irregularities worth RSD 31.5 billion were found in public procurement, Beta reported. Sretenovic noted that public debt at the end of 2012 totaled EUR 18.2 billion according to DRI information, while the data of the Public Debt Administration set the public debt at EUR 17.6 billion. “On all state levels, public debt totaled 61.33 percent of the GDP, which exceeds the level envisaged in the general fiscal regulations of 45 percent,” Sretenovic said. He explained that the Law on Public Debt was not adjusted to the Law on Budget System in terms of scope, registry and reports on the Serbian public debt on all government levels. “The format and contents of annual and periodic reports on the state of the public debt in Serbia were not prescribed by any regulation or bylaw,” he said. Sretenovic said that DRI inspected the 2012 budgets in nine ministries and the Serbian parliament and a part of the operations carried out by the National Bank of Serbia. The control also covered the budgets of 18 public and utility companies, budgets of 24 municipalities, Pension and Disability Insurance Fund, the Clinical Center of Vojvodina, the Fund for Social Insurance of Military Insured and the financial reports of the Security Information Agency, Republic Directorate for Property, Republic Geodetic Authority, First Basic Court, Belgrade Business School and the Office for Human and Minority Rights. Sretenovic said that the budget beneficiaries subject to the control had not drawn up the list of assets and obligations worth RSD 18.5 billion. In 2012, budget beneficiaries paid a total of RSD 584 million as penalties for overdue withdrawal of loans with international financial organisations, he said. After the audits, auditors issued 66 opinions, two of which were positive and 58 with some degree of caution, while two more were abstained. In 2013, DRI issued 1,081 recommendations to budget beneficiaries for removal of irregularities. According to the reports in 2013, DRI filed a total of 29 charges against 43 competent individuals, Sretenovic said at the press conference. Of this figure, 24 charges covered the requests for initiation of infringement procedures, one more was filed for economic offence and four were criminal charges. (Tanjug, file) Tanjug

DRI identifies state budget irregularities

The 13.1 billion relates to the state budget, while irregularities worth RSD 31.5 billion were found in public procurement, Beta reported.

Sretenović noted that public debt at the end of 2012 totaled EUR 18.2 billion according to DRI information, while the data of the Public Debt Administration set the public debt at EUR 17.6 billion.

“On all state levels, public debt totaled 61.33 percent of the GDP, which exceeds the level envisaged in the general fiscal regulations of 45 percent,” Sretenović said.

He explained that the Law on Public Debt was not adjusted to the Law on Budget System in terms of scope, registry and reports on the Serbian public debt on all government levels.

“The format and contents of annual and periodic reports on the state of the public debt in Serbia were not prescribed by any regulation or bylaw,” he said.

Sretenović said that DRI inspected the 2012 budgets in nine ministries and the Serbian parliament and a part of the operations carried out by the National Bank of Serbia.

The control also covered the budgets of 18 public and utility companies, budgets of 24 municipalities, Pension and Disability Insurance Fund, the Clinical Center of Vojvodina, the Fund for Social Insurance of Military Insured and the financial reports of the Security Information Agency, Republic Directorate for Property, Republic Geodetic Authority, First Basic Court, Belgrade Business School and the Office for Human and Minority Rights.

Sretenović said that the budget beneficiaries subject to the control had not drawn up the list of assets and obligations worth RSD 18.5 billion.

In 2012, budget beneficiaries paid a total of RSD 584 million as penalties for overdue withdrawal of loans with international financial organisations, he said.

After the audits, auditors issued 66 opinions, two of which were positive and 58 with some degree of caution, while two more were abstained.

In 2013, DRI issued 1,081 recommendations to budget beneficiaries for removal of irregularities.

According to the reports in 2013, DRI filed a total of 29 charges against 43 competent individuals, Sretenović said at the press conference.

Of this figure, 24 charges covered the requests for initiation of infringement procedures, one more was filed for economic offence and four were criminal charges.