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2007 Assessment

Georgia: Integrity Indicators Scorecard

Georgia: Integrity Scorecard Report > Sub-Category: Supreme Audit Institution
Indicators		Score
55	In law, is there a national supreme audit institution, auditor general or equivalent agency covering the entire public sector?	100
56	Is the supreme audit institution effective?	59
57	Can citizens access reports of the supreme audit institution?	58

Indicator and sub-Indicator Details

In law, is there a national supreme audit institution, auditor general or equivalent agency covering the entire public sector?

55: In law, is there a national supreme audit institution, auditor general or equivalent agency covering the entire public sector?

Score:

YES

Comments:

References: Constitution of Georgia Law on Chamber of Control

Is the supreme audit institution effective?

56a: In law, the supreme audit institution is protected from political interference.

Score:

YES

Comments: Formally it is fully separate from the government, the chief is directly appointed by the Parliament and answers to the Parliament as well.

References: Law on Chamber of Control

56b: In practice, the head of the audit agency is protected from removal without relevant justification.

Score:

100

Comments:

References: All heads of chambers of control left pre-term due to political pressure. The appointments have been made solely due to political loality. Every issue of April and May, 2007 of the Newspaper Alia was writing about the versions on potential new chairman of teh supreme audit institution. Newspaper rezonansi 8 May, 2007 New chairman of teh Chamber of Control has been apopinted. Newspaper 24 Hours 8 May, 2007 From Control to Audit Giorgi Asanishvili

56c: In practice, the audit agency has a professional, full-time staff.

Score:

100

Comments:

References: See report on audit institutions at www.gyle.ge/FOI There have been no reports on non-professionalism, although the leadership of the Chamber of Control always complain about understaffing.

Peer Review Comments: I personally visited the Chamber of Control and while leaders of agencies always complain about understaffing, I don't see how that is a big problem for the Georgian Chamber.

56d: In practice, audit agency appointments support the independence of the agency.

Score:

100

Comments:

References: There have been no reports.

Peer Review Comments: Political consideration seems to be very high on the agenda when appointing the head of the institution, which could be setting a tone for hiring the rest of the staff.

56e: In practice, the audit agency receives regular funding.

Score:

100

Comments:

References: There have been no media reports on non-financing.

Peer Review Comments: There have been no media reports of funding cuts due to political considerations.

56f: In practice, the audit agency makes regular public reports.

Score:

100

Comments: Problem exsists only when they require increase in funding. If compared with the proportions of budgetary growth of various ministries, it has not been that significant.

References: There are annual reports to the Parliament.

56g: In practice, the government acts on the findings of the audit agency.

Score:

100

Comments: ON the web site of the Chamber of Control you can find reports on submissions to the law enforcement and the folder on actions and investigations is still empty even for the cases sent in 2005

References: NO media reports that chamber of control findings have been the reason for investigation. see reports at www.control.ge

56h: In practice, the audit agency is able to initiate its own investigations.

Score:

100

Comments:

References: By law, the Chamber of Control does not have the right to investigate.

Can citizens access reports of the supreme audit institution?

57a: In law, citizens can access reports of the audit agency.

Score:

YES

Comments: Legally all reports are public.

References: Law on Chamber of Control General Administraive Code, ch. III

57b: In practice, citizens can access audit reports within a reasonable time period.

Score:

100

Comments: It was a rather hot issue in the summer of 2007, and all media were reporting that the Chamber of Control constantly refused to disclose audit reports of the Tbilisi mayor's office, as well as of law enforcement agencies.

References: Interview with the anti-corruption team leader of the Georgian Young Lawyers Association Tamar Gurchiani See all media reports from June-July 2007 See information at www.republicans.ge

57c: In practice, citizens can access the audit reports at a reasonable cost.

Score:

100

Comments: One needs to pay only for copying, but as reports are huge it is quite a burden on citizens and journalists. As a consequence, there have been requests on getting information on discs, or flash drives, as well as having them on internet. Most of those requests are normally turned down.

References: See report on costs of information of the Georgian Young Lawyers Association a::t www.gyla.ge