From November 29 to December 3, a study visit of department employees of the Ministry of Justice of Uzbekistan takes place in Latvia with the aim of increasing the development capacity of public services in Uzbekistan by getting acquainted with examples of Latvia’s experience and best practice.
On a study visit this week, employees of the Ministry of Justice and Public Services Development Centre of Uzbekistan will visit the Ministry of Environmental protection and Regional Development, the State Regional Development Agency, the State Social Insurance Agency, the State Revenue Service, as well as Smiltene and Olaine Regional Governments and the customer service centres of unified state and municipal services.
The study visit to Latvia is a continuation of the cooperation started in 2021, within the framework of which experts from the State Audit Office of Latvia and the Ministry of Environmental Protection and Regional Development (MEPRD) provided a training workshop in Uzbekistan to strengthen the Public Services Agency of Uzbekistan and increase the capacity and quality of its employees. At the workshop, the experts of the State Audit Office and MEPRD shared their experience on the operating principles of the unified state and municipal customer service centres, the methodology for calculating public service costs, service quality control, e-services, service optimization, etc.
Considering that the State Audit Office of Latvia has vast experience in public sector auditing by analysing and assessing the public service system in Latvia, foreign colleagues wish to familiarise with the work experience of the supreme audit institutions in auditing public services.
In general, Latvian experts support the efforts of the Uzbek government to develop citizen-oriented public services and to strengthen the local governance system to solve problems of population related to the environmental and social spheres and the economic situation more effectively. One also plans to support national digitization processes to facilitate the provision of contactless services, which were especially relevant in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. Namely, by using e-services, people can receive state administration services faster and more conveniently, and the costs associated with receiving the service are also reduced. E-service providers also benefit as administrative burden is reduced and service provision process is optimised resulting in shortening time for service provision, increasing cost efficiency and the availability and quality of services of state and municipal institutions.
The State Audit Office of the Republic of Latvia, as a member of the international and European organisations of supreme audit institutions (INTOSAI and EUROSAI), implements cooperation measures actively with the aim of strengthening the operational capacity of other countries supreme audit institutions and public institutions. Given the priorities of the development cooperation policy of the European Union and Latvia, the support by the State Audit Office of Latvia for development cooperation activities by strengthening the operational capacity of public services in the Central Asian region, is an important, strategic tool to achieve the goals of the common policy.
International cooperation of the State Audit Office of the Republic of Latvia:
- Holds elected positions in the governing bodies of EUROSAI, a regional organisation of the International Organization of Supreme Audit Institutions (INTOSAI), serves on the Contact Committee, of the Cooperation Platform between the SAIs of the EU Member States and the European Court of Auditors, and acts as an auditor of international organisations;
- Ensures participation and professional input in the INTOSAI and EUROSAI International Working Groups and the INTOSAI Financial Auditing Standards Subcommittee;
- Provides development and support to the SAIs of other countries and offers services in the international consulting market as a professional, highly qualified, and experienced consultant in the field of public sector audits.
Delegation from Uzbekistan:
- Murodjon Mullajonov, Chief Advisor of the Department for Coordination of Public Service Centres and Civil Registry Offices of the Ministry of Justice of the Republic of Uzbekistan
- Omonjon Yoqubjonov, Chief Consultant of the Department for Improvement and Monitoring of Administrative Procedures the Ministry of Justice of the Republic of Uzbekistan
- Sodirjon Ibragimov, Leading Consultant of the Department for Control over the Provision of Public Services of the Ministry of Justice of the Republic of Uzbekistan
- Kamoljon Haliqov, Deputy Director of State Institution “Centre for the Development of Public Services” under the Ministry of Justice of the Republic of Uzbekistan
- Eldor Mahkamov, Director of Legal Policy Research Institute under the Ministry of Justice of the Republic of Uzbekistan.
- Bakhtiyor Sayfitdinov, Task Manager on PSD/BPR will join to coordinate the visit on behalf of the IPSD project
- Berdakh Raziev, AFA – translator of IPSD Project.
About the State Audit Office of Latvia
The State Audit Office of the Republic of Latvia is an independent, collegial supreme audit institution. The purpose of its activity is to find out whether the actions with the financial means and property of a public entity are legal, correct, useful and in line with public interests, as well as to provide recommendations for the elimination of discovered irregularities. The State Audit Office conducts audits in accordance with International Standards of Supreme Audit Institutions of the International Organization of Supreme Audit Institutions INTOSAI (ISSAI), whose recognition in Latvia is determined by the Auditor General.
100 years of AUDIT STRENGTH
On 16 August 2023, the State Audit Law will turn 100 years old. With the adoption of this Law, the State Audit Office from a formal de facto institution founded on 2 December 1918 became a de jure independent, collegial supreme audit institution of the Republic of Latvia. The State Audit Office is one of the independent state institutions enshrined in the Satversme (Constitution) of Latvia. The Constitution was signed by Roberts Ivanovs as the secretary of the Constitutional Assembly, who was then confirmed as the Auditor General. He worked as the first Auditor General for 12 years. His signature confirmed the text of our Constitution alongside that of Jānis Čakste.
Additional information
Ms Signe Znotiņa-Znota
Head of PR and Internal Communication Division
Ph. + 371 67017671 | M. + 371 26440185 | E. signe.znotina-znota@lrvk.gov.lv