Slovak regional governments approved nearly half of subsidies without clear criteria, audit finds

Nearly half of all subsidies approved by Slovakia's regional governments (VÚC) were granted without clear evaluation criteria, according to a report by the Supreme Audit Office (NKÚ). This lack of defined standards raises significant questions about the transparency and fairness of public fund allocation across the regions.

The NKÚ's investigation uncovered that many VÚCs failed to establish objective benchmarks for assessing subsidy applications. This practice potentially allows for arbitrary decision-making and may disadvantage applicants who genuinely meet necessary criteria but lack the right connections or influence.

In addition to the flawed subsidy approval process, the audit also highlighted issues with how information regarding these grants was made public. The report indicates that the VÚCs did not consistently adhere to requirements for disclosing relevant details, further obscuring the decision-making process and hindering public oversight. These shortcomings suggest a need for improved governance and stricter adherence to transparency regulations within Slovakia's regional administrative bodies.