North Macedonia Ministry of Digital Transformation faces audit irregularities

A report from the State Audit Office has identified significant financial and administrative irregularities within the Ministry of Digital Transformation. Auditors were unable to confirm the accuracy of the 2024 financial statements for the main budget due to a lack of sufficient evidence, issuing a qualified opinion on legal compliance.

Key findings include incomplete inventories of assets and mobile devices, as well as a lack of documentation for real estate valued at over 140 million denars. Notably, 13 buildings were recorded in off-balance sheet records with a symbolic value of only one denar each. The audit also highlighted issues regarding public procurement procedures and a lack of functional internal auditing.

In response, the Ministry of Digital Transformation stated that many of these issues are inherited from the former Ministry of Information Society and Administration, with some dating back over a decade. The Ministry noted that a comprehensive inventory had not been conducted in the last 10 years, leading to discrepancies between actual assets and accounting records. Corrective measures are reportedly underway to resolve these property and documentation issues.