KLSH: 138 billion ALL, economic damage during 2022

2023-07-05 18:35:00, Aktualitet CNA

The total figure divided according to violations was presented on Wednesday by the chairman of the SSC, Arben Shehu, during the annual report to the Economy and Finance Commission, where the findings and problems identified by the SSC during the audits carried out in public institutions were addressed.

The HSC report was based on 177 audits in 205 entities and classified violations according to economic damage, irregularities/illegalities with negative financial effects on public finances.

From the audit of the KLSH it was found; 1.5 billion ALL economic damage for irregularities and financial violations; 88.5 billion ALL for legal illegality with an impact on performance; 10.5 billion ALL in damages for deficiencies in the implementation of tax legislation for local government; 12.7 billion for violations of budget discipline in the realization of investments; 18.3 billion ALL in damages due to mismanagement and deficiencies in monitoring the 1 euro rent of agricultural lands and 107.5 billion ALL in damages due to deficiencies in control activity with an impact on tax and customs revenues.

In total, 5,420 violations were found and more than 5,000 measures were taken to improve the work and efficiency of these institutions.

KLSH has also found violations in the implementation of concessionary/PPP contracts, which according to the report, "results that payments were made for the past years in the amount of 15,292,593 thousand ALL or 2.5% of the total expenses for them, which constitute an increased risk for creation of arrears".

Summarizing the violations found, Shehu told the deputies that: "we have identified cases of the use of funds not efficiently, effectively and economically in the field of public procurement, violations of budget discipline in the programming and realization of public expenditures, resulting in the creation of obligations arrears, irregularities and violations in the administration of tax revenues as well as in the misadministration of public property and the environment".

In this context, he suggested that it is necessary to review the legal framework as well as the orientation of the government's intervention in, what he called, "the cost-benefit ratio for every project financed by the state budget".

He informed that on the basis of these findings, KLSH has referred to the competent bodies 4 criminal reports to the Prosecutor's Office of the judicial districts for 16 officials of different levels.

In at least 7 cases, Shehu added, his decisions for technical-legal treatment for the evaluation of criminal elements have been referred to the prosecution body and then sent to the Special Prosecution Against Corruption and Organized Crime.

The MPs pointed out the high figure of damage compared to other years, but the officials of KLSH linked this figure to the monitored institutions, referring to the monitoring of the tax and customs directorates of Tirana or Durrës, which bear the weight higher in relation to the entire sector.

The rapporteur of the commission, Enslemvera Zake, assessed that the HLSC had fulfilled its legal responsibilities, based on the monitoring of the Assembly, and that it had implemented the recommendations made a year ago.

She pointed out that the number of criminal charges has decreased, but Shehu said that he is in constant communication with the prosecution and works in parallel on the findings of violations of the criminal law./ BIRN