The SAI is established under a constitution. The SAI's head is appointed by the Parliament. The procedure for terminating the appointment of the head of SAI is:
Any citizen qualified to be elected to the national council may be elected to the Head of SAI. It has a fixed tenure of 7 yrs.
Various conditions of service of the head of SAI to secure independence are :
The SAI is an Independent Governmental agency bound only by statutes. The SAI do not has Financial Independence (It is not fixed in Statute). The office shall submit to the National Council of the Slovakia. A report of Auditing results of the past calendar year not later than the end of March of the following year.
The SAI has jurisdiction over :
The SAI has powers of requisitioning all records of the auditee departments/organisations to discharge its mandate. The Auditors shall be authorised to require the material and other documents and material including the computer based data, irrespective of the degree of Confidentiality and to receive the original documents and other material for the auditing purposes. The SAI has the power to enforce or initiate enforcement action to secure access to needed records, which are not produced. An individual person who has frustrated the performance of the Audit by not discharging the obligations can be ordered to pay a fine upto SKK 10,000, where the obligations have not been discharged within a newly specified time, the fine can be imposed again.
The SAI the power to seal, search and seize documents and other related items where it is considered necessary for its audit and inspection. The SAI has the powers to seek testimonials of the persons concerned. The Auditors shall be authorised to require written or oral presentation of the complete and correct information, observation and explanations concerning the facts under audit and/or the deficiencies identified by the audit.
The SAI can seek co-operation of persons other than the agencies subject to audit and inspection for presenting materials, it can also contract auditing service of other persons who are not its employees. The SAI do not has powers of instructing government investigating agencies to perform activities considered necessary. The SAI has the powers to decide on claims of interested persons in connection with official actions, duties and behaviours of persons subject to audit and inspection.
The SAI do not have the powers to take punitive action and/or impose surcharges. The SAI has powers to access the computer systems of the auditees and the power to download and use electronic data either in site or off site, it do not has the power to review the development of computer systems by the auditees and suggest/enforce any controls. The SAI do not have any role in the appointment of other external auditors engaged by the auditees for meeting any statutory requirements. The SAI do not have powers to supervise and regulate the work of external auditors.
SAI prescribes Financial audit and Compliance audit as its scope of audit. The Office shall conduct auditing in compliance with the generally Binding Statutory Regulations and in an Economic, Effective and Reasonable manner. The SAI does not discharge judicial functions. SAI has set its own standards, practices and guidelines in conducting audit and reporting. The SAI apply the international auditing standards of the European Union and adapting them in a conformity with the conditions of the Slovak republic and the requirements of the quality and competence of auditing. The SAI can consult and/or collaborate with other countries/SAIs and international organisations on matters relating to audit. The office shall corporate with the Supreme Auditing Institutions based in foreign countries under the applicable international treaties binding on the Slovak Republic. For this purpose the office can delegate its auditors to international Auditing Institution.
The SAI can engage consultants and/or obtain professional services in conducting audit. The SAI can report on acts that infringe upon State economic interests like mass embezzlement of State assets, serious losses and wastes. Procedures regarding reporting of frauds be reported mandatorly by the auditees are regulated/controlled by criminal law/statues.The reporting procedure followed by the SAI is
The SAI do not have any role on the disposal or the action taken on audit findings. The SAI shall obligate the managing body of the Audited entity to submit a written statement of the measures taken to remove the deficiencies identified by the audit and a written statement of the discharge of these measures. The SAI does present an interim report before rendering an annual report on the examination of the closing of accounts of Federal, Provincial and Local governments, when
a) chairman of SAI decides
b) report of auditing results shall be submitted to National Council/Parliament whenever so requested by the National council.
The SAI has powers to share its audit reports with the public and media. SAI cannot amend accounts case of Financial Statement audits. SAI do not have an advisory role to the government.
The SAI is constituted as an audit office with monocratic status i.e. with an Auditor General or equivalent as head. The conditions of service of the members of the SAI guarantee their independence. The SAI is empowered to engage external auditors/agencies/consultants as required.
The SAI can expend resources budgeted independently. The SAI has full independence in forming its workplan. The SAIs powers in the recruitment of audit and other staff and in determining the conditions of service of such staff are not fixed Statute. The SAI is not subjected to an independent audit. The SAI is required to submit a report on its activities, to National Council of Slovakia.