Experts of the independent think tank “Expert -Grup”, who examined a number of audit reports of the Audit Office, recommend to more rigorously plan the projects financed with foreign funds. In a news conference, the experts said the performance of many of the projects funded from foreign sources is doubted, IPN reports.

The think tank’s economist Tatiana Savva said that this time there were selected the Audit Office’s reports on the results achieved in implementing projects financed with foreign funds, which were presented in the second half of last year. These include the project to reform the state border security that was implemented by the Ministry of the Interior and was financed by the EU and projects in the areas of education and social assistance to the value of about 1 billion lei, which were supported by the EU, the World Bank and other foreign donors.

“The Audit Office established that the money was used correctly, according to the purpose agreed with the donors. Most of the actions defined in the projects were carried out. For example, 97% of the activities stipulated in the project to reform the state border security were performed,” stated Tatiana Savva.

The experts question yet the performance of these projects. Tatiana Savva gave as example projects that envision the working out of automated information systems. Within these projects, public servants were trained to manage them. About 300 public servants were trained during the last two years, but half of them went to work in the private sector owing to the low salaries. The transfer of knowledge didn’t take place and these systems do not work. Also, no money is allocated for maintaining these systems.

Expert Dumitru Budianschi said that such a situation is due to the drawbacks in planning such projects. For example, if those automated information systems are needed, the ministries and other authorities should plan the resources so as to maintain them afterward.

The vicious practice when the activities of the projects that benefit from external financing are interesting and go on, but when the financing is stopped, these are also stopped wasn’t fully excluded.