The assessment of corruption risks in the process of formation and execution of the state budget in Russia has already become one of the main components of audit procedures, stated Svetlana Orlova, Auditor of the Accounts Chamber of Russia, Report informs.
Speaking at the annual meeting of the Working Group on the Audit of Public Procurement of the International Organization of Supreme Audit Institutions (INTOSAI) held in Baku, Orlova, who is also the head of the Secretariat of the Working Group, said the Accounts Chamber of Russia has been analyzing the state budget through the prism of corruption risks for three years now and warns ministries and state structures about identified risks:
"We inform the relevant bodies after the execution or preparation of the budget about which areas have corruption risks and inquire about what steps will be taken to eliminate these risks. Such an approach contributes to more effective spending of budget funds," Orlova emphasized.
She noted that special indicators have been developed to assess corruption risks in the procurement sector, and their use is mandatory for all state auditors.
"Recently, training seminars on corruption risk management, digitalization of procurement, and digital audit topics have been conducted with the participation of representatives from 29 countries. A digital map of high-risk enterprises has also been created in Russia, which enables timely identification of risks in heating, water supply, electricity, and other strategic areas," Orlova said.