The NTA carried out ex officio audit in Sports Centres throughout the country, in order to ensure compliance with the provisions concerning the licensing of their sports facilities.
One of the most important audit findings in two (2) Sports Centres, was that the competent bodies, proceeded to issue operating licenses, although the submitted licensing applications of their sports facilities, were accompanied by incomplete and /or not updated documentation. Additionally, one of the most important audit was that in the decisions issuing operating licenses, no reference was made to the maximum number of spectators per grandstand or section of the sports facility, with all that this entails for the safety of spectators.
The Audit Reports made suggestions/recommendations to the stakeholders.
The following proposals per body are indicative:
1. The General Secretariat of Sports to consider amending the provisions as to:
a) the obligation of Sports Centres to post their operating licenses, on the premises of their sports facilities, in order to enhance transparency and establish the justified confidence of athletes and spectators,
b) the provision of a competent body to carry out audits/investigations and
(c) to provide guidance to Regions and Municipalities as to their obligations for the licensing of sports facilities, based on sports and environmental legislation.
2. In the Regions, the Municipalities and the Sports Centres:
a) The competent Regions to undertake a re-inspection of licensed sports facilities, in order to confirm that the requirements of sports and environmental legislation are met and to ensure the conduct of, the prescribed annual regular audits/inspections in Sports Centres.
b) The competent municipalities to proceed to revoke the granted operating licenses sports facilities and subsequently to seal them, as they (licenses) were issued without meeting the conditions provided for in sports and/or environmental legislation.
c) Sports Centres to take all necessary protective measures (use of signage, tapes, etc.) to prevent the public from using sports facilities that have not been licensed.
In view of the above, it was requested the bodies’ disciplinary action of the competent municipalities that issued sports facilities operation licenses, as well as a municipal official, who certified the completeness of the submitted files sports facilities, without meeting the requirements of sports and/or environmental legislation.