The Court of Auditors formulated an audit opinion with reservations on the Government’s report concerning the fulfilment of the state budget for 2017. Court member Tatiana Kunetski, in hearings at the parliamentary commission on economy, budget and finance, said the reservations refer to financial and compliance aspects. The audit draws attention to the non-presentation of consolidated information about the financial reports of the central public authorities and the territorial-administrative units, these not being covered by the Government’s report, IPN reports.
As to the financial aspects, Tatiana Kunetski noted the audit ascertained the non-confirmation, by mutual verifications with other managers, of state budget revenues in the amount of 926.9 million lei. Also, mutual verifications concerning mandatory contributions paid by winemakers to the value of about 20 million lei weren’t ensured between the Ministry of Finance and the State Tax Service.
The audit established that VAT refunds of 9.1 million lei were illegally paid to clear the overdue mandatory contributions of winemakers. Also, the treasury accounts weren’t closed with the balance of temporary inflows of 830,600 lei at six reorganized ministries and the auditor was limited in the possibility of verifying, comparing and confirming the reported information on debts and financial situations.
Under the 2017 state budget law, the state budget revenues were specified and projected at 33.778,3 billion lei, while the expenditure at 37.802,5 billion lei, with a deficit of 4.024,2 billion lei. The audit showed the revenues came to 33.947,4 billion lei, by 169.1 million lei or 0.5% higher than the specified projections, the expenditure totaled 35.479,1 billion lei, by 2.323,4 billion lei or 6.1% lower than the projections, while the budget of -1.531,7 billion lei was by -2.492,5 billion lei or 61.9% lower than the projections.
In the audit report, the Ministry of Finance is asked to approve a plan of measures for remedying the identified irregularities and to take attitude to the budget-funded institutions or authorities that do not obey the budget calendar by presenting financial report in the required way and on time.
