For people with visual impairments
The Acting Chairman of the Accounting Chamber, Andrii Maisner, held a working meeting with the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Federal Republic of Germany, Martin Jager. The participants discussed cooperation between Ukraine and Germany in state external financial control (audit).
The Acting Chairman of the Accounting Chamber said the institution had initiated two audits within the cooperation framework with the SAI of Germany (Bundesrechnungshof) and the Court of Auditors of Hesse (Hessischer Rechnungshof). The first involves advisory assistance in conducting the audit by the German Federal Court of Auditors (Bundesrechnungshof) on "Housing for internally displaced people caused by the war: promoting family integration in new places of residence with the support of the Federal Republic of Germany." Financial assistance under the Housing for Internally Displaced Persons program amounts to EUR 25.5 million. The audit is scheduled to begin in January 2024.
The institute conducts the second audit with the Court of Auditors of Hesse (Hessischer Rechnungshof) on "Ensuring civil protection in municipal institutions of general secondary education". It is scheduled to begin on November 1, 2023.
"Every euro of German taxpayers is of exceptional value. We must build the trust of our partners. That is why we have chosen our cases a new format of cooperation based on the international ISSAI standards between the German Federal Court of Auditors (Bundesrechnungshof) and our institution, as well as with the Regional Audit Institutions of Germany," said Andrii Maisner.
The Acting Chairman of the Accounting Chamber expressed his gratitude to His Excellency for cooperation with the Accounting Chamber.
"Your visit to the Accounting Chamber, especially during the war, is much more than a symbolism or a gesture of diplomatic ethics," the Acting Chairman of the Accounting Chamber said.
The participants also discussed the role of the Supreme Audit Institution of Ukraine in the country's anti-corruption system and the new draft laws on the institution's activities to bring the powers of the Accounting Chamber in line with the best European practices.
"The future of the independent institution of the Supreme Audit Institution, independent of any branch of government, as it is in Germany, is now in the hands of Members of Parliament. Several draft laws have been registered in the Parliament to change the activities of the Accounting Chamber, aimed to improve the quality of control and efficiency of Ukraine's public finance management system. The support of international partners, especially from Germany, is important to us. Germany provides a significant amount of aid to Ukraine. These funds and material assets require strict control, particularly by an independent body, such as the Accounting Chamber of Ukraine," emphasized Andrii Maisner.
Martin Jager expressed his welcome and support for cooperation with the German Federal Court of Auditors (Bundesrechnungshof) and the Court of Auditors of Hesse (Hessischer Rechnungshof), leading to coordinated audits. He emphasized that such audits are essential for German taxpayers, who must ensure their money is spent appropriately and reliably. Martin Jager also noted that the strength of the German Federal Court of Auditors (Bundesrechnungshof) lies in its complete independence. At the same time, it has a phenomenal reputation in the society. As the Accounting Chamber currently ensures proper accountability and efficiency of the use of aid, the Ambassador said, it should become fully independent and robust, with a full mandate of authority in line with the best European and international practices.
He mentioned two factors that should determine the work of the Accounting Chamber. One is the highest qualification of experts, and the other is the independence of the supreme audit institution. Martin Jager stressed that Germany has been providing all possible assistance to the Accounting Chamber of Ukraine and will continue to do so to strengthen its position. The closer Ukraine is to the European Union, the more influential the work of the Accounting Chamber will be, stressed the Ambassador.
Political Officer of the Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany in Ukraine Hannes Neugebauer and the Head of the International Cooperation Department of the Accounting Chamber Mykhailo Tolstanov also attended the meeting.
