2026-09-29
Over the next six months, 23 high importance recommendations from the National Audit Office should be implemented on time. Their implementation should help to address issues relating to the accessibility and quality of services provided to the public, the planning of government activities, public sector management, security and other important matters.
Among the most important expected changes are decisions that will have a significant impact on the state’s long-term financial and energy resilience: aligning the new National Progress Plan with the state’s financial capabilities; the accumulation and management of state reserves based on clear principles; and a data-driven decision on the further implementation of the First Offshore Wind Farm project.
“A state’s resilience does not emerge in the heat of a crisis – it is built in advance, through a precise assessment of risks and the accumulation of sustainable reserves. Today, any delayed or indecisive action in the event of a crisis would inevitably lead to our country’s vulnerability. We cannot afford to waste time, so public sector leadership that genuinely strengthens the state’s resilience must be a priority for the next six months,” says Auditor General Irena Segalovičienė.
The objectives of the National Progress Plan must be aligned with the state’s financial capabilities
One of the most significant expected changes is the new National Progress Plan for 2028–2034, which will be more focused on the country’s key changes, reforms and areas of breakthrough, channelling the necessary institutional efforts and funding towards them.
The 2026 autumn report on the implementation of recommendations, prepared by the National Audit Office, emphasises that such planning would allow for more efficient planning and use of state resources, a focus on results, and a more consistent assessment of the progress achieved.
State reserves must be managed in accordance with clear principles and long-term planning
Equally important for the state’s long-term resilience is the accumulation and use of financial reserves, which help the state to remain resilient in the face of economic, geopolitical and other shocks. The report emphasises the need to clearly define what level of reserves is sufficient, which risks they are intended to cushion, and how they should be built up in the long term.
The planning of financial reserves must be based on risk analysis, clear sources of funding and priorities for their use. The Ministry of Finance has informed the National Audit Office that an analysis of international practice has already been carried out and that proposals are being drawn up for a new model for the formation and management of financial reserves.
The planning of the state reserve’s material resources is also of particular importance. To ensure that supplies reach the population in a timely manner should the need arise, a coherent, risk-based system for the planning and formation of the state reserve must be established. To this end, the most cost-effective method of stockpiling food supplies must be identified, reserve prices set, suppliers’ capacities assessed, and other conditions necessary for the proper formation of the state reserve evaluated. The formation of the state reserve must also be coordinated with mobilisation and military defence requirements, involving the Ministry of National Defence in this process.
A final decision is needed on the offshore wind farm
The implementation of the Cronian Nord project, the First Offshore Wind Farm, has now been transferred to UAB Offshore Wind Farm 1 – the necessary rights and obligations have been assigned to it, thereby clarifying responsibility for the project’s progress.
UAB Ignitis Renewables, with the assistance of external experts, has carried out an analysis of the project’s internal and external factors and assessed the main risks and implementation scenarios. However, no specific decision has yet been taken regarding the project’s continuation or its realistic timelines. A data-driven decision on the further implementation of the Curonian Nord First Offshore Wind Farm project is therefore expected within the next six months.
The National Audit Office monitors the implementation of recommendations on an ongoing basis and actively cooperates with the audited entities following the audit. Up-to-date information on the status of the implementation of recommendations is published on the National Audit Office’s website: Open Data | National Audit Office of the Republic of Lithuania. A report on the status of the implementation of recommendations is published and submitted to the Seimas twice a year – in March and September. What changes are taking place in Lithuania and where risks arise, based on data collected by the National Audit Office, can also be monitored using the tool Public Sector Progress and Risk Dashboard.