The Republic’s Audit Office on Thursday is expected to officially request details of current contracts of consultants at the Presidential Palace and all Ministries and Deputy Ministries.
The Office has already announced its intention to audit such contracts before a bill is drafted regulating the terms of appointment of state consultants.
This was an agreement reached at a recent meeting between President Nikos Christodoulides and Auditor General Odyseas Michaelides following a public furore over certain consultancy appointments by the new government which took over on March 1.
The government is now committed to drafting a bill that would define the legal framework for the employment of state consultants.
And, at the same time, it allowed for an audit of all such contracts which have already been signed in a bid to identify if there were cases that needed corrective action.
The Audit Office had stated that it would give the government a reasonable timetable to carry out its own audit before the contracts are handed over them.
Insiders said the government bill is currently in the legislative-technical stage and it is not excluded that this will be brought before the Cabinet as early as Wednesday.
If indeed does go before the Cabinet and gets approved, Â the next step should be the announcement of the outcome of the internal audit carried out on behalf of the Presidential Palace.
