The Vice Presidents Goritsa Grancharova and Toshko Todorov shared with their Albanian colleagues the BNAO experience in auditing funds allocated to deal with the COVID – 19 pandemic

The Vice-Presidents of the Bulgarian National Audit Office Goritsa Grancharova and Toshko Todorov took part in a bilateral meeting for exchange of experience, in Tirana in the period 2-6 June, 2021 at the invitation of the President of the SAI of Albania  - Arben Shehu.

The cooperation between the SAIs of Albania and Bulgaria within the framework of the signed bilateral agreement was discussed. The role of SAI in the financial control of the funds allocated to deal with the pandemic caused by COVID-19 was also discussed. The Vice- Presidents Goritsa Grancharova and Toshko Todorov presented the changes undertaken by the Bulgarian National Audit Office in its audit programmes for 2020 and 2021, including a total of 6 audits of public funds to combat the effects of the pandemic in various socio-economic areas - economic measures for micro, small and medium-sized enterprises, social support and employment, support for farmers, in the field of tourism, health and the European React-EU mechanism.

The BNAO Vice – Presidents Goritsa Grancharova and Toshko Todorov also acquainted their Albanian colleagues with other main parts of the 2021 BNAO Annual Audit Programme.

The experience of the two SAIs in communicating with stakeholders - parliament, audited entities, media, citizens and others - was presented.

It was generally agreed that the challenges the two SAIs are facing are a prerequisite for strenghtening the bilateral co-operation. The President of the Albanian SAI was invited to visit the Bulgarian National Audit Office and to get acquainted with the established good audit practices and the opportunities for exchange of experience in the field of performance audit and audit of the funds for COVID-19.

Goritsa Grancharova and Toshko Todorov awarded Arben Shehu with the honorary plaque of the Bulgarian National Audit Office.