The National Transparency Authority (NTA) co-organised with the General Directorate of Fiscal Audits of the General Accounting Office, a conference for the presentation of the "Guide for the Audit of Public Benefit Assets and Inheritances", which aims to standardise the methodology and audit tools in this sensitive area of public policy. Participants included representatives of the Fiscal Surveillance and Audit Services of the Ministry of Finance as well as executives from audit services members of the National Coordinating Body for Audit and Accountability. More than 140 executives from a total of 40 locations in Greece had the opportunity to attend this online workshop.
The conference began with the introductory remarks of the Secretary General for Fiscal Policy, Mr. Petralias and the Governor of the NTA, Mr. Binis.
The importance of this model Guide was highlighted in his statement by the General Director of Public Property & Public Assets, Mr. Bakas, whose team participated in the preparation of this Guide.
The Director General of Fiscal Audits, Mr. George Georgiou said that "during the years 2018-2020, 173 audits were carried out by the Directorate of Fiscal Controls in inheritances, accounts and unknown inheritances. Fiscal audits on Inheritances reach 9.40% of the fiscal audits. The total number of legacies to be audited in the near future amounts to 3,000 per territory".
The keynote speaker of the conference was the former Inspector General of Public Administration, Mr. Rakintzis, whose speech focused on the significant social impact of common property and inheritances and the need to strengthen the framework of their supervision. As he said, "Public Benefit Foundations number around 11,000 estates. The continental estates alone amount to 4,520, most of which are under the jurisdiction of the Metropolis of Ioannina due to the will of George Stavros. The Athens Nursing Home alone has about 70 hereditary estates.
Mr. Rakintzis further stressed that "this guide through its questionnaires facilitates the audit bodies to draw up a very satisfactory conclusion with a proposal for sanctions" and referred to the provision of Article 71 of Law 4182/2013, which refers to disciplinary violations and administrative sanctions. This provision foresees, among other things, the imposition of a fine of up to 10,000 euros on executors of wills, administrators, administrators of foundations or estates in case they do not comply with the accountability and good administration requirements of the relevant institutional framework.
The conference was concluded with the presentation of the basic structure and content of the Guide by the Project Team Coordinator, Ms. Theodoropoulou and the member of the General Directorate of Fiscal Controls and member of the project team, Mr. Kontogeorgakis.