In 2023, the control section of the Court of Auditors for Campania carried out 326 checks on local authorities, more than double compared to 2022, despite a reduced staff.
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The data was made known by the president of the section, Massimo Gagliardi, during the inauguration ceremony of the 2024 judicial year.
The controls mainly concerned the management of health, environment, water resources and culture, with the aim of developing democratic control over the results and encouraging self-correction by the institutions.
The Court of Auditors has also carried out consultative activities on the purchase of company shares by local authorities, rebalancing plans and financial criticalities.
The Court of Auditors found difficulties both in the collection and in the planning of expenditure.
A virtuous path has been started with the Campania Region, which recorded a constant reduction in the deficit during the 2022 financial year and compliance with debt constraints.
On the health expenditure side, there is a high level of health mobility and critical issues in recovering waiting lists.
The Court of Auditors has given a favorable opinion to the acquisition by some Campania municipalities of shares in Agrorinasce srl, a company that deals with the recovery and valorization of assets confiscated from the Camorra.
Greater concerns arise from the implementation of the PNRR.
The Court of Auditors has highlighted the need for adequate coordination with cohesion policies and to avoid excessive fragmentation of tenders for public services, such as public transport.
“Many Campanian entities could present significant critical issues even just in guaranteeing essential services, with a possible increase in management costs in the medium term,” Gagliardi said.
“The responsibility of public authorities cannot be limited to balancing the budget, but extends to the optimal use of public resources and the solution of fundamental problems that affect the community.”
Several critical issues emerged:
Delays in the construction of public works
Territorial gap and cohesion deficit
Difficulty in coordinating programming tools
Multilevel governance issues
Currently in Campania 48 entities are in a rebalancing plan and 60 are declared insolvent, out of a total of 550 municipalities.
Article published on 28 February 2024 - 16:40
