site.btaEuropean Supreme Audit Institutions Discuss Good Governance in Public Sector

Sofia, May 15 (BTA) - A High-level Conference on "The Role of the Supreme Audit Institutions in Enhancing Accountability, Transparency and Integrity in the Public Sector" was held in Sofia as part of the Bulgarian EU Council Presidency.

It was organized by the Bulgarian National Audit Office and was attended by heads and representatives of 26 European Supreme Audit Institutions (SAIs), including 19 EU Member States SAIs and the European Court of Auditors.

Tzvetan Tzvetkov, President of the Bulgarian National Audit Office, said at the opening that the audit institutions of the EU Member States and the candidate countries came together to share experience and good governance practices in the public sector: accountability, transparency and integrity.

Liliyana Pavlova, Minister for the Bulgarian EU Council Presidency, said the exchange of experience between the EU countries' audit institutions and those of the Western Balkans helps improve the spending rules. Stability and confidence in the administration, integrity and the rule of law are impossible without the audit institutions, she said.

Pavlova stressed that the forum is one of the major events in the calendar of the Bulgarian EU Presidency due to the proactive role of the SAIs in the integration of the Western Balkans. "Auditors are our partner who helps us adapt our structures, make them work and meet the requirements," she said.

Klaus-Heiner Lehne, President of the European Court of Auditors, said good governance is key to the public's confidence in the institutions. Auditors should exchange and disseminate good practices with a view to achieving greater accountability, transparency and integrity in all areas of the public sector.

Seyit Ahmet Bas, President of the Turkish Court of Accounts, and Kosovo Auditor General Besnik Osmani, who are in Sofia for the conference, signed a cooperation agreement.