Following complaints, a team of Auditors- Inspectors of the National Transparency Authority (NTA), between 28.2.2022 and 22.6.2022, carried out an audit in municipalities of the Region as to the legality of the provision of floral decoration services during funeral or memorial ceremonies, which take place in the sacred temples of the municipal cemeteries concerned, with the parallel exclusion of private providers of corresponding services.
Findings during the on-the-spot check:
- It was found that the provision of flower arranging services in a particular municipality is not included in the responsibilities of the local authorities and, by extension, their public utilities, is not of a public utility nature and is akin to a commercial act. It cannot therefore be carried out by the public undertaking. Moreover, although the provision of flower arranging services was removed from the purposes of the undertaking in 2008, the municipality in question has nevertheless continued to provide flower arranging services exclusively, in breach of the Cemetery Regulations, to such an extent as to constitute a quasi-legal monopoly in that activity to the detriment of local commercial undertakings. The fees or royalties from ceremonies derived from the cemetery constitute revenue for the maintenance of the cemetery and not for the purpose of meeting the operating obligations of the municipality or municipal enterprises.
It was proposed that the municipal corporation cease operations in this area. No disciplinary action was sought as the current President of the corporation is not an elected official and the outgoing President has not been re-elected as a councilor.
Another municipality, which was similarly active in a purpose not provided for in its statutes (i.e. in the field of flower arranging during funeral or memorial ceremonies taking place in the sanctuary of its cemeteries), fully complied with the provisions in force as the General Assembly of the company amended its Statutes, in the course of the audit, by removing flower arranging from its purposes.