High State Audit uncovers 69 mln USD of abuses

TIRANA, Dec 12 – Albania’s High State Audit has identified 6.9 billion lek (around USD 69 mln) of financial abuses during controls carried out in the first three quarters of this year. The damage unveiled in the 182 inspections carried out in state institutions during this year belongs to 2008-2011 financial activity and was mostly identified in central government institutions.
The biggest abuses during this year have been identified in the renting of state-owned property at a total of 345 million lek. Almost 99 percent of this was caused by the Directorate General of Forest and Pasture Policies in Tirana for failing to properly calculate and collect rental fees.
Second is the customs administration with 181 million lek, and the Durres Customs Office topping the list with 142 million lek for clearance corruption.
Procurements, although made through an online system, rank third with a total of 175 million lek, mostly in local government units such as the Tirana and Durres municipalities.
The High State Audit has also identified around 150 million lek of abuses in the bonuses system mainly in local government units.
The High State Audit submitted 588 disciplinary measures against state employees in the inspected institutions. Audit officials have filed lawsuits against three state employees, two tax officials and a person employed in power utility KESH. Out of the 17 job dismissal proposals by the Audit, only 5 of them have been implemented.
Since the end of October, the High State Audit head post remains vacant after an initial proposal by the President has been turned down by the ruling majority. The President’s second proposal, Bujar Leskaj, a former ruling Democratic Party MP, has been in principle supported by Prime Minister Sali Berisha but rejected by the opposition. The State Audit’s head is elected with a simple majority of 71 votes and has a seven-year mandate with the right to re-election.