The National Assembly authorized the National Audit Office to audit the activity of the Agriculture State Fund om the January 1, 2009 - June 30, 2009 period.

In 2008 external auditors and inspectors established a series of deviations and omissions in the Fund's operation.

This has resulted in halting of payments under certain measures and delay of contractual obligations undertaken by the Fund, the sponsors of the proposal, Martin Dimitrov, Kircho Dimitrov and Mariana Darakchieva (MPs of the Blue Coalition), say in the reasoning behind the initiative.

The results of the audit will be summarized in a report that is to be presented by December 20.

Lyutvi Mestan (Movement for Rights and Freedoms) said that the proposals for audits at the Agriculture State Fund and the Enterprise for Management of the Activities, Related to Environment Protection, should be supported but that there were political implications in a number of MPs' statements on the subject.

National Audit Office chief Valeri Dimitrov said that the Agriculture Fund has unclear legal status: it is an extrabudgetary account under the Agriculture Ministry, which is consolidated with the Ministry's annual financial statement every year.

The Fund should draw a separate financial statement, which should be certified by the National Audit Office, he added. In his view the Fund's management and control systems should also be subjected to inspection.

Source: BTA