Bălți City Hall ranks first in transparency despite audit warnings

The Bălți City Hall has achieved a record 91% transparency score, ranking first among local authorities in Moldova according to an evaluation by IDIS ‘Viitorul’. Mayor Alexandr Petkov stated that the result confirms the administration's commitment to public access to information, decision-making participation, and public procurement transparency.

However, a recent audit by the Court of Accounts has issued an adverse opinion on the municipality's financial statements for 2025. The audit indicates that the financial reports do not faithfully reflect the actual state of the city's assets and finances. Key discrepancies include the mismanagement of land and public goods, improper asset classification, and accounting irregularities.

Specifically, the report highlights that while accounting records listed over 1,400 hectares of land valued at more than three billion lei, property rights were only registered for approximately 860 hectares. The audit also identified issues regarding concession contracts, depreciation calculations, and the overall organization of municipal accounting.