NKU: Slovakia Lacks Strategic Data-driven Governance

Bratislava, 4 April (TASR) - Strategic governance based on critical data, which the state is still failing to collect despite repeated warnings, has long been absent in Slovakia, thus leading to systemic failures and wasted funds to the tune of millions of euros, according to a 2025 report submitted by the Supreme Audit Office (NKU) to Parliament earlier this week. Slovakia is gradually becoming Europe's 'digital junkyard' filled with inconsistent and unlinked data and databases, stated NKU, adding that essential reforms are needed. "The number of employees in the public sector has increased by more than 36,000 over the past ten years, and government spending has risen from €35 billion in 2015 to nearly €67 billion today," said NKU. While digitisation and IT technologies, with billions of euros from European and national sources invested in recent years, were supposed to make state administration more efficient, the expected improvements haven't yet materialised. "Shortcomings in the strategic governance of public policies, combined with a tolerated culture of irresponsibility and impunity, are becoming unsustainable," stressed NKU in its report, which is based on the results of 40 inspections of more than 180 general government entities. Auditors have identified nearly 880 violations and shortcomings, while suggesting 220 practical recommendations for improvements. A lack of data also hinders the implementation of public policies not only in health care, youth mental health or digitisation in everyday life, but also in reducing regional disparities, developing transport infrastructure and modernising water-management infrastructure. "As a result, for example, we're unable to assess whether the more than €10 billion spent annually on health care is distributed transparently and effectively for the benefit of patients' health," warned NKU chair Lubomir Andrassy. "We also don't know whether energy aid costing more than €4 billion to date has really gone to those who actually need it," he stated, adding that the same applies to social benefits worth millions of euros. Due to data chaos, there was no backward evaluation of the three public finance consolidation packages worth €7.5 billion in terms of whether they've brought the expected effects or helped to reduce the country's debt. Their impact on the social situation of vulnerable groups, as well as on businesses or economic growth, has not been assessed, either, said NKU. jrg/df/mf