ALSAI signs a cooperation agreement with Romania's Court of Accounts

On 18 September 2018, in Bucharest, Romania, the Chairman of the ALSAI, Mr. Bujar Leskaj signed the renewal of the Agreement and the Co-operation Plan for Joint Activities 2018-2021 between the Romanian Court of Auditors and the ALSAI. The President of the Romanian SAI, Mr. Mihai Busuioc praised this agreement as important to his institution. He said that the Albanian Supreme Audit Institution had received a very positive opinion from the President of the Court of Accounts of Portugal and the former President of the European Court of Auditors (ECA), Dr. Vitor Caldeira and stressed that "with concrete initiatives we will develop our will to work together, a work that will bring added value to the auditors of our two SAI ”.

The Chairman Leskaj said that, based on the INTOSAI motto " Experentia mutua Omnibus prodest" (Mutual Experience Benefits All)) and in Article 15 International Experience Exchange of the Lima Declaration, ISSAI 1," We are signing this Agreement and Joint Action Plan to achivie our mutual goals. Firstly, the ties between the Albanian people and the Romanian people are historical and Romania has a direct contribution during the years 1890-1912, in the Albanians constant efforts for freedom, culminating in the proclamation of Albania's independence and the establishment of the Albanian State in 1912.

Secondly, we sign cooperation in evaluating the powerful reformist personality of Mr. Mihai Busuioc, President of the Romanian Court of Accounts. We have a lot to learn from Romania's Court of Accounts, a great European SAI with a rich tradition. We believe that the exchange of best experience in the audit will contribute to the further development and modernization of our institutions".

During the visit in Romania, the ALSAI Chairman was received by the Prime Minister of Romania, Mrs. Viorica Dăncilă at her office. Ms. Dăncilă noted that the friendly relation between, Albania and Romania is important for the EU integration of the Balkan countries. "In this regard," said the Romanian Prime Minister, “the partnership between the two Supreme Audit Institutions plays a primary role”. Mr. Leskaj expressed to the Prime Minister of Romania the gratitude for the precious assistance that the Romanian people and his governments have made to the efforts of the Albanian people to form their independent state, underlined that the exchange of experiences in the field of external public audit affects the strengthening of citizen's confidence in public governance. On September 19, 2018, the ALSAI Chairman was invited in the Romanian Parliament by Mr. Marius-Constantin Budăi, Chairman of the Budget, Finance and Banks Committee. In his greeting, President Buda assessed the cooperation between the Committee and the Romania's Court of Accounts, a partnership that is accomplished through a sub-commission dedicated to overseeing the work of the Court. He was interested in knowing the ALSAI reports with the Parliament and the relevant parliamentary committee in Albania.

In response to this interest, Mr. Leskaj stressed the support given by the Albanian Parliament to the adoption of the new law of ALSAI at the end of 2014, in full compliance with the international standards of INTOSAI, as well as the role of the Chairman of the Assembly Committee on Economy and Finances in promoting findings and recommendations of ALSAI audits and encouraging new and qualitative audits closer to citizens' interests.

In the discussions on the Joint Action Plan for concretizing the Agreement were present Mr. Florin Demian, Secretary General of the Romanian SAI, Mrs. Marina Aulona Pelea, Member of the Court of Accounts, Mr. Dragos Budulac, Director of Foreign Relations and Mr. Dimitru Nichita, Advisor to the President of the Court.

In his presentation, President Busuioc underlined the necessity for the Court to abandon its stance as a sanctioning institution by taking the advisory and preventive audit approach. "The administration is afraid of getting punished by us and they don’t procure public works. This hampers development. We should advise the government in getting the right policies. We need to be a step forward to help. Only in this way can we become a driving force for economic development”, said Mr. Bujusioc.

On his part, Chairman Leskaj, after presenting the ALSAI's work and achievements over the period 2012-2018, underlined that only by implementing the INTOSAI's standards, will SAIs enhance the impact of findings and recommendations on the life of citizens.

In the ASAI delegation headed by the Chairman Bujar Leskaj, were Prof. Dr. Skënder Osmani, an external expert of ALSAI and one of the most prominent personalities of Albanian science in mathematics and informatics studies, Mr. Muhamed Kavaja, an senior auditor with 25 years experience in ALSAI and Chairman of the Association of Auditors of Albania and Mr. Fatos Cocoli, external expert.

The cooperation agreement with the Romania's SAI is the 17th with the European SAIs that ALSAI has signed during 2012-2018.