Internal Audit Directorate

Director: Liubka Sokacheva
E-mail: lsokacheva@mrrb.government.bg

The Directorate “Internal Audit” is directly subordinate to the Minister and reports directly to him.

The Directorate “Internal Audit” performs internal audit activities across all structures, programmes, activities and processes within the Ministry, including those of EU fund managing bodies, lower-level budget spending units under the Minister, and commercial companies with more than 50 per cent state participation in their capital, where no internal audit unit has been established, in accordance with Article 13 of the Internal Audit in the Public Sector Act.

The Directorate “Internal Audit”:
1. Plans, performs and reports on internal audit activities in accordance with the Internal Audit in the Public Sector Act, the International Standards for the Professional Practice of Internal Auditing, the Code of Ethics of Internal Auditors, the Charter of the Internal Audit Unit, and the methodology for internal audit in the public sector approved by the Minister of Finance.
2. Prepares, on the basis of a risk assessment, a three-year strategic plan and an annual activity plan, which are coordinated with the Minister.
3. Prepares an audit plan for each audit engagement, including its scope, objectives, duration, resource allocation, audit approach and techniques, as well as the type and extent of audit procedures.
4. Provides the Minister with an independent and objective assessment of the state of audited financial management and control systems.
5. Evaluates the risk identification, assessment and management processes established by the Minister.
6. Examines and assesses: compliance of activities with legislation, internal acts and contracts; reliability and completeness of financial and operational information; adequacy of asset and information safeguarding arrangements; and the efficiency, effectiveness and economy of operations, contract execution and commitments undertaken.
7. Advises the Minister upon request under Article 8 of the Internal Audit in the Public Sector Act by providing advice, opinions, training and other support aimed at improving risk management and control processes, without assuming management responsibility.
8. Reports and discusses with the Minister and the heads of audited structures the results of each audit engagement and presents an audit report.
9. Issues recommendations in audit reports to improve the adequacy and effectiveness of financial management and control systems, supports the Minister in preparing an action plan, and performs follow-up checks on the implementation of recommendations.
10. Prepares and submits to the Minister a consolidated annual report on internal audit activities, which is forwarded to the Minister of Finance in accordance with Article 40 of the Internal Audit in the Public Sector Act.
11. Prepares a plan for the professional training and development of internal auditors and submits it for approval by the Minister.