2011-08-09
One-third of funds allocated to environmental protection programmes are not used
The National Audit Office of Lithuania evaluated the use of funds allocated to special programmes for the support of environmental protection and environmental protection of municipalities. Although due to lack of funds issues related to the waste management, air and water pollution, as well as management of protected sites are slowly solved, however, some one-third of funds out of around LTL 55 million annually allocated to these environmental protection programmes remain unused. The Ministry of Environment, which annually allocates some LTL 10 million of Environmental Protection Programme funds, spends up to 60 per cent of these funds for covering of the expenditure of the Ministry and its subordinate bodies. Deputy Auditor General Nijolė Mickuvienė says that some of these funds are not used in a rational way, since so far selection priorities of environmental protection measures are not established, the control of allocation and use of funds is insufficient.
The NAOL identified that some funds allocated to environmental protection were allocated by the Ministry of Environment to measures not envisaged in the law, as well as to measures, which are not directly related to the reduction of the damage to environment.
The National Audit Office of Lithuania recommended to the Ministry of Environment to enhance a positive impact on the environment brought about by special programmes for the support of environmental protection and environmental protection of municipalities, to ensure the publicity of allocation of funds, more efficient control of the use of funds, as well as to analyze the efficiency and purposefulness of professional hunting in all the State forests.