The EUROSAI Project Group on Support to the Chamber of Accounts discussed new areas for interaction
The priority areas of work of the EUROSAI Project Group “Support to the Chamber of Accounts by EUROSAI”, recent legislative changes regarding the functioning and powers of the Chamber of Accounts, the current status of the implementation of international standards in the institution’s activities, and the assistance it needs at this stage of reform were discussed on March 20 during an online meeting by foreign SAIs – the Group’s participants.
As a reminder, the Project Group was established in June 2023 at the initiative of the National Audit Office of the United Kingdom. Its tasks – support for the activities of the Chamber of Accounts in wartime conditions and promotion of the development of institutional capacity in general. The EUROSAI Project Group, chaired by the SAI of the United Kingdom, includes SAIs from 29 countries, including Austria, Belgium, Germany, Norway, France, Sweden, as well as representatives of the European Court of Auditors, the INTOSAI Development Initiative (IDI),etc.
The Accounting Chamber was represented at the meeting by the Head of the Accounting Chamber, Olga Pishchanska, Deputy Head, Serhiy Klyuchka, Acting Secretary of the Accounting Chamber – Chief of Staff, Vasil Nevydomy, and heads of specialized structural divisions of the institution.
At the beginning of the meeting, Senior Audit Manager of the National Audit Office of the United Kingdom, Helen Holden, welcomed the participants of the meeting on behalf of the organizing SAI and called on the partners to exchange views on the priority needs of the Accounting Chamber and the partners' capabilities to provide appropriate support to the SAIs of Ukraine.
In response, the Head of the Accounting Chamber, Olga Pishchanska thanked the partners for their previous support, including for the analysis of the draft law "On Amendments to the Law of Ukraine "On the Accounting Chamber". Regarding the needs of the Accounting Chamber, Olga Pishchanska emphasized that the exchange of experience in the direction of developing a quality management system, improving approaches to auditing consolidated financial statements and auditing local budgets are priorities.
«Ukraine receives significant assistance from partners. Part of these funds also goes to local budgets. Therefore, the task of the Accounting Chamber is to ensure maximum control over their use. Currently, the Accounting Chamber has to exercise control over about two thousand local budgets, we need to quickly develop approaches to conducting such audits, despite limited time and resources, – emphasized the Head of the Accounting Chamber.
Vasyl Nevydomy in turn told the partners about audits of the use of international aid, and the Director of the State Budget Control Department Yulia Myronenko – about the importance of partner support in developing approaches to conducting audits of consolidated financial statements. Also, the head of the international technical assistance project “Continuation of the Public Finance Management Support Program in Ukraine (EU4PFM)”» Inguna Sudraba informed the partners about the relevant work of the project team to support and strengthen the functional and professional capacity of the Accounting Chamber.
The participants of the Project Group expressed their proposals for further support that they can provide to the SAI of Ukraine. Thus, colleagues from Lithuania offered their experience in conducting an audit of consolidated financial statements, improving the quality control system and preparing for peer review. Colleagues from Norway - conducting trainings on focus audits, Portugal and Belgium - webinars on current topics and other proposals.
Following the results of the meeting of the EUROSAI Project Group «Support of the Accounting Chamber by EUROSAI» The participating SAIs agreed to continue communication with the Accounting Chamber in a bilateral format and to discuss in more detail new potential measures to strengthen the institutional capacity and professional potential of the institution.
