Current Issues
Safeguard the independence of audit institutions
Against the background of the draft law to amend the Parliamentary Groups Act in the state of Brandenburg, Kay Scheller, the German SAI’s President who currently chairs the Conference of Presidents of the German SAI and the audit institutions of the German federal states initiated a formal decision of the Conference.
Current Issues
VAT exempt cross-border supplies
Zero-rated VAT from the first cent has resulted in long waiting times, a high administrative burden, and inspection gaps. Therefore, the German SAI demands a value threshold: exports are to be exempted from VAT only if the value of the goods purchased exceeds €175.
Current Issues
Smart health card
The Federal Ministry of Health is to become majority shareholder of gematik. That way Parliament has ultimately taken action to implement our audit recommendation. We recommended that the Federal Ministry of Health should take a more active role when moving to an electronic health card. In our view, this will help make the process more dynamic.
Current Issues
President Kay Scheller has taken the chair of the United Nations Board of Auditors
At the beginning of this year, President Kay Scheller took the chair of the UN Board of Auditors in line with the two-year rotational basis. “We will continue to target our reporting closely to the needs of the UN entities and also address the progress of UN reform efforts “, Mr. Scheller said.
Current Issues
UN Board of Auditors has approved 28 audit reports at its seventy-second regular session
The 72nd regular session of the UN Board of Auditors was held in New York from 24 to 25 July 2018. The meeting focused on the approval of 28 audit reports.
Current Issues
Clear run for long vehicles without consideration of the impact this might have
The Federal Ministry of Transport and Digital Infrastructure granted approval for road operation to heavy road vehicles without having gathered reliable results on the long-term impact on infrastructure and traffic safety. Potential problems such as parking on rest areas, undersized emergency stop bays and an increased fire load in tunnels, driving on construction sites and overtaking on by-roads have not been reviewed sufficiently.
Current Issues
Frigates lacking skilled crews
The Federal Armed Forces cannot train enough staff for their four new frigates (F 125) procured at a cost of more than €3 billion. As a result, the new frigates cannot be deployed as was originally intended.
Current Issues
Federal Armed Forces: no procurement of hand-held radio sets
The Armed Forces consider procuring 800 hand-held radio sets in 2019 at a cost of more than €1 million, although they have a sufficient number of such radio sets.
Current Issues
Overhaul of old naval aircraft not running smoothly
After a major overhaul of eight older naval aircraft, the Federal Armed Forces failed to achieve their goal of putting the aircraft to efficient use. In 2015, they awarded contracts worth €500 million for this overhaul.
Current Issues
Flat-rate billing worth a million euros instead of accounting inspections
For many years, various statutory health insurers concluded individual agreements with hospitals about flat-rate billing worth several millions and, in return, had not cross-checked the invoices. In this way, health insurers did not comply with their duty to review hospital billing.
Current Issues
Flawed public works management leads to cost overruns of almost 70 per cent
We found shortcomings in project management of retrofitting a building complex located in the city of Bonn. Due to shortcomings in project planning and project governance, costs rose from 55 to €92 million and the building was not handed over to the United Nations until three years later than projected.
Current Issues
Public broadcasting corporations undertaxed
Public broadcasters enjoy undue tax privileges with respect to commercial revenue. This resulted in subsidies of approx. €55 million during the last decade.
Current Issues
Data on tax inspections misleading
The data the Ministry of Finance holds on the additional amount of tax received as a result of tax inspections contain erroneous data that add to providing a distorted picture of tax revenues. Hence, the data statistics is neither good for tax planning or steering the tax administration nor for providing information to the general public.
