The Court of Accounts of the Republic of Moldova (CoARM) presented on June 12, within the Public Finance Control Committee and the Economy, Budget and Finance Committee, the results of the Audit Report on the Government Report on the execution of the State Budget for 2023.
Tatiana Șevciuc, the CoARM President reported on the most relevant findings of the audit, that were the basis for formulating the general conclusions, as well as the submitted recommendations.
According to the Government Report, the specified parameters of the state budget were achieved, with revenues of 99.6% or 64.6 billion lei, with expenses and non-financial assets – 97% or 80.7 billion lei. The budget exercise for 2023 ended with a deficit of 16.1 billion lei.
According to the Annual Budget Law, state budget revenues were approved in the amount of 65.8 billion lei, being executed in the amount of 64.6 billion lei.
The most significant contribution to the total revenue comes from value added tax - 46.6%, income tax - 18.2%, excise duties - 15.7%, customs duties and other import taxes - 3.1%, etc.
At the end of the 2023 budget year, according to the reported data, taxpayers' claims against the state budget amounted to 1715.8 million lei. From the total of these arrears, those administered by the State Fiscal Service receive 1292.1 million lei, Customs Service receives 403.7 million lei, Public Property Agency receives 6.8 million lei, National Transport Agency receives 2.1 million lei and the Ministry of the Environment receives 11.1 million. lei.
By the State Budget Law, the expenditures and non-financial assets of the state budget were approved in the amount of 84.1 billion lei, being executed in the amount of 80.7 billion lei.
The annual budget law was amended over the last year to adjust the budget indicators to revenues and expenditures, while the ongoing budgetary programs are being revised. Thus, the main redistributions of allocations were directed to the National Fund for Regional and Local Development, the Road Fund, the National Fund for the Development of Agriculture and the Rural Environment. Also, the social benefits for the financial support of some vulnerable household consumers were increased, unique payments were granted to employees in the educational system, to the staff of sports institutions, to the military with duties in the field of ensuring public order.
The audit carried out by the Court of Accounts regarding the execution of the state budget for the year 2023 established that the Report presented by the Government provides, under all significant aspects, a correct and faithful picture regarding the execution of the cash, in accordance with the applicable financial reporting framework. The CoARM auditors mentioned the need to improve the regulatory framework regarding the recognition, planning, execution and reporting of grants and subsidies.