Audit Office will become supreme audit institution

The Audit Office will no more assess the draft state budget law, draft state social insurance budget law and draft law on the compulsory health insurance funds. This is stipulated in an amendment bill approved by the Government, Info-Prim Neo reports. The Audit Office was deprived of such a power as it will be transformed into a supreme audit institution that will monitor the revenues and spending of the national public budget, but will not pronounce on the mentioned draft laws. It is the prerogative of the Government to formulate and implement the state policy on finances, loans and circulation of the money and the Audit Office's involvement would mean infringement of the principle of objectivity defined in the law on this institution. Under the amendment bill, the Audit Office will not impose sanctions anymore. It will only inform the competent bodies about the identified violations. The Audit Office will also examine the legality and regularity of the expenditure estimates of the National Bank of Moldova, but will not audit them as this is an internal managerial work carried out by the central bank.