On 16 August, President Edgars Rinkēvičs congratulated the State Audit Office on its centenary, emphasising the special role of the State Audit Office's assessments in building a just state.
In his video address at the opening of the conference dedicated to the 100th anniversary of the State Audit Office, the President noted that the establishment of an independent supreme audit institution demonstrates Latvia's commitment as a responsible state to monitor the legality and efficiency of its resource management, so that resources benefit the entire Latvian society and contribute to the development of the country.
"I highly appreciate the objective of the State Audit Office to ensure efficient, fair and lawful operation of the public sector in the public interest. I would like to take this opportunity to thank every employee of the State Audit Office for their honest and enthusiastic participation in achieving this goal", emphasised President Edgars Rinkēvičs.
The President of Latvia expressed his conviction that the values of the State Audit Office - accountability, cooperation and development - are a direction indicator in the daily work of the State Audit Office. In this professional journey, it is important to ensure that the process does not become an end in itself and that a legal and fair result-oriented work culture is developed and strengthened instead of formalism.
In his video address, the President of Latvia referred to the task of the State Audit Office to provide an objective, reasoned and fair assessment of the use of public resources. The role assigned to the State Audit Office in the Constitution makes this task particularly responsible and the State Audit Office's assessment is a powerful instrument that plays an important role in building a just state. Moreover, the position of the State Audit Office in the system of Latvian state institutions allows it to review the broadest national context and to ensure that the assessment does not take an overly formal approach that does not take into account the long-term priorities of the Latvian state, pointed out President Rinkēvičs.