“Not satisfactory”, reads the conclusion from the National Audit Office. They have looked at how the ministry has handled grant schemes in the municipalities for the particularly resource-intensive services.
The failure lies in the fact that they have not taken good enough care to ensure that they are arranged in line with the rules for financial management in the state.
Several things are missing
The ministry has also not followed up on weaknesses in the Directorate of Health’s control and management of the grant scheme, the audit’s summary states.
– Calculations of grant amounts require information that the municipalities are not in a position to provide, the report concludes.
The National Audit Office believes that the Norwegian Directorate of Health has not put in place a good enough system to control, prevent, uncover and correct errors in reimbursement claims submitted by the municipalities. The directorate has also not done enough to ensure equal practice and understanding of the regulations for the scheme, it is further stated.
Mildest form of criticism
The National Audit Office landed on the mildest form of criticism, which is defined as “not satisfactory”. Auditor General Karl Eirik Schjøtt Pedersen presented the conclusion at a press conference on Tuesday.
The Ministry of Local Government and District Affairs is recommended to ensure that the rules for the top funding scheme that apply to resource-intensive services are designed appropriately.
They also believe that adequate control of the municipalities’ reimbursement requirements should be carried out. In addition, the municipalities should receive better guidance to ensure that the rules are understood and practiced equally.
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