Audit Office not scrutinising Paphos municipality yet

The Audit Office is not currently investigating the Paphos municipality but if irregular activity arises then “everything will be in the light”, auditor-general Andreas Papaconstantinou said on Wednesday.

He also said the delays in completing the Vasiliko terminal were “unacceptable” and that his office was carrying out undercover inspections to get a feel of what the people are experiencing when visiting state services and departments.

Papaconstantinou was speaking on Wednesday after he delivered his office’s report for 2024-2025 to President Nikos Christodoulides.

Christodoulides said the Audit Office was an important corrective pillar of the state and that further initiatives would be undertaken to “strengthen the safety net” for civil service decisions.

Speaking to the press after the meeting, Papaconstantinou said “we have some complaints” about the Paphos municipality.

“I will be meeting with people who asked to see me to tell me things about the Paphos municipality. When I receive these complaints and they are evaluated, we will decide when and which reviews to carry out,” he said, explaining that this is the procedure followed in all cases.

There were plans, he added, to check two “high risk” municipalities in the Limassol district, however this may be revised.

Asked if there were any complaints pending before he assumed his duties, the auditor-general said there were not.

“What I have been informed is that a complaint was made to the police. We were called on to contribute by forwarding our findings from an inspection we made. The findings were given and the case took its course, through Paphos police, and is now – as I have been informed – with the attorney-general.”

Delays in implementing various energy projects were also discussed between Papaconstantinou and the president, without going into detail about Vasiliko terminal or the Great Sea Interconnector (GSI) cable.

“The Audit Office inspects, it does not execute. We highlight our concerns. We may give some suggestions in a broader framework. But how exactly they will solve the problem is up to them,” he added.

The auditor-general said the state has invested in both Vasiliko and the GSI, with staff and managers, who have the responsibility to plan, assume the risk and responsibility, and move forward.

Specifically for Vasiliko, he said “we are very much behind, it is an unacceptable situation which the president acknowledges”.

Papaconstantinou said the Audit Office was going through an intense period of change to increase its productivity and become even more effective, and in 2026 would probably double the number of reports it issues.

He expressed the belief that the president was also concerned that some state services were problematic and making things difficult for the state.

“We are trying to be targeted in our inspections […] there are ways to overcome some issues.”

He presented the example of the Department of Land and Surveys, where there were delays of seven to ten years. “We are in no case claiming that the colleagues in the departments are not working or not trying, but the results speak for themselves,” he said.

Papaconstantinou said the Audit Office was now carrying out unannounced inspections incognito to see what the people are experiencing and exert “polite pressure”.

Quality control has also been introduced and on Thursday for the first time a report on a specific accident and emergency department  – where an inspection was made unannounced at after midnight hours – will be made public.