The implementation of the twinning project called ”Institutional strengthening of the State Audit Office of Georgia” started on 1 October and will last for 2 years.
”It is a great honour to us that the European Commission has put confidence in the Supreme Audit Office, convinced that Polish auditors will be able to pass on the experience and standards effective in the European Union to help the SAI of Georgia” - NIK President Krzysztof Kwiatkowski commented on the EC decision.
”Cooperation with Polish experts will be a step towards the European Union. It is very important to us” - said Nikoloz Nikolozishvili, the ambassador of Georgia to Poland. He said openly that the Georgians very much value the experience of Poland on its way to the European Union. ”We hope that Georgia and Poland will share their practices and that it is going to be yet another example of fruitful collaboration between the two states.”
The residential twinning adviser (RTA) of the project, Silke Steiert from Germany who paid a visit to NIK Headquarters at the end of September, explained: ”The point is not to tell others what solutions are best for them or to give them tailor-made recipes. For us it’s important to look at how other SAIs work. We will be working together, trying to find specific solutions for Georgian auditors but at the same time we are open to learn new things from our colleagues.”
For the Polish Supreme Audit Office the possibility of sharing knowledge and experience with the Georgian SAI is a great challenge. ”It goes without saying that the Polish and Georgian nations like each other and that there are strong historical and personal bonds between them” - Krzysztof Kwiatkowski added.
”The Polish are very open for Georgians” - confirms Nikoloz Nikolozishvili, the ambassador of Georgia to Poland. ”In Georgia we love Polish people and we are always happy to see them in our country”.
The SAO of Georgia was established in 1992 (in the present shape it has operated since 2012 after the act amendment). It hires about 260 employees, including 129 auditors. It is chaired by the President, appointed by the Parliament for a 5-year term (since July 2012 it has been Mr. Lasha Tordia).
